iH 


if 


V 


'  }W 


^ 


CATCHING   WILD   HORSES.     Ta-c  13. 


STORIES 


ABOUT    THE 


INSTINCT   OF   ANIMALS, 


THEIR  CHARACTERS,  AND  HABITS. 


BY  THOMAS   BIXGLEY. 


EMBELLISHED    WITH    ENGRAVINGS,    FROM   DRAWaSGS    BY    T.    LANDSEEIU 


^.,   iJv..  »//, 


'^^^^W^ 


BOSTON: 

CROSBY,  NICHOLS,   LEE  AND   COMPANY. 
1861. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I. 

Uncle  Thomas  resumes  his  Stories  about  the  Instinct  of  Ani- 
mals. — Tells  about  the  Horse,  and  of  the  Immense  Herds 
which  are  to  be  found  on  the  Plains  of  South  America  ;  of 
their  Capture  by  means  of  the  Lasso  ;  the  Arab  and  his 
Mare  ;  the  Gadshill  Robber  ;  the  Benevolent  Planter  ;  the 
Lawyer-Highwayman  ;  as  well  as  several  other  Curious  Stories 
about  the  Intelligence,  Affection,  and  Docility  of  the 
Horse Page  9 

CHAPTER  II. 

Uncle  Thomas  tells  about  the  Beaver,  and  the  Singular  Manner 
in  which  it  constructs  a  Dam  to  confine  the  Waters  of  the 
River  ;  and  about  the  Hut  which  it  builds  for  its  Habitation. 
He  tells  also  about  the  Curious  Nests  of  the  Sociable  Grosbeak; 
and  gives  a  Long  and  Entertaining  Account  of  the  White  Ant 
of  Africa  ;  its  Extraordinary  Nest ;  and  the  Important  Part 
which  it  acts  in  the  Economy  of  Nature 2I> 

CHAPTER  III. 

Uncle  Thomas  describes  the  Manner  in  which  W  :i'  E'e;-!!?.!-??' 
are  caught,  and  relates  some  Curious  Stories  ol  i  <  '"■•  >  ■■  v 
Affectim,  and  Intelligence  of  the  Elephant .m 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


Uncle  Thomas  introduces  to  the  Notice  of  the  Young  Folks  the 
Ettrick  Shepherd's  Stories  about  Sheep  ;  and  tells  them  some 
Interesting  Stories  about  the  Goat,  and  its  Peculiarities 71 

CHAPTER  V. 

Uncle  Thomas  relates  some  Very  Remarkable  Stories  about  the 
Cat  ;  points  out  to  the  Boys  the  Connexion  subsisting 
between  the  Domestic  Cat  and  the  Lion,  Tiger,  &c.,  and 
tells  them  some  Stories  about  the  Gentleness,  as  well  as  the 
Ferocity  of  these  iVnimals 89 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Uncle  Tliomas  tells  about  the  Tiger  ;  its  Ferocity  and  Power  ; 
and  of  the  Curious  IModes  which  are  adopted  for  its  Capture 
and  Destruction. — Also  about  the  Pmna  or  American  Lion, 
and  introduces  some  Hunting  Scenes  in  North  and  South 
Aonerica,  with  other  Interesting  and  Entertaining  Adven- 
tures  123 

CHAPTER  Vll. 

Uncle  Thomas  tells  about  the  Migrating  Instinct  of  Animais.— 
Of  the  House  Swallow  of  England  ;  and  the  Esculent 
Swallow,  whose  Nest  is  eaten  by  the  Chinese. — He  tells  also 
about  the  Passenger  Pigeon  of  America ;  of  the  Myriads 
which  are  found  in  various  parts  of  the  United  States ;  of  the 
Land-Crab  and  its  iMigrations,  and  of  those  of  the  Salmon 
and  the  Common  Herring 144 


CONTENTS.  vii 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Uncle  Thomas  tells  about  the  Baboons,  and  Ihcir  Plundering 
Excursions  to  the  Gardens  at  the  of  Good  Hope,  Calsoacp 
about  Le  Vaillant's  Baboon,  Kees,  and  his  Peculiarities  ;  the 
American  ^Monkeys  ;  and  relates  an  Amusing  Story  about  a 
Young  Monkey  deprived  of  its  Mother,  putting  itself  under  the 
Fostering  Care  of  a  Wig-Block 174 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Uncle  Thomas  concludes  Stories  about  Instinct  with  several 
Interesting  Illustrations  of  the  Affections  of  Animals,  par- 
ticularly  of  the  Instinct  of  ?»Iaternal  Affection,  in  the  course 
of  which  he  narrates  the  Story  of  the  Cat  and  the  Black-Bird ; 
the  Squirrel's  Nest ;  the  Equestrian  Friends  ;  and  points  out 
the  Beneficent  Care  of  Providence  in  implanting  in  the 
Breasts  of  each  of  his  Creatures  the  Instinct  which  is 
necessary  for  its  Security  and  Protection 193 


STORIES 

ILLUSTRATIVE    OF    THE 

INSTINCT    OF    ANIMALS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Uncle  Thomas  resumes  his  Stories  about  the  Instinct  of  Am. 
mals. — Tells  about  the  Horse,  and  of  the  Immense  Herds 
which  are  to  be  found  on  the  Plains  of  South  America  ;  of 
their  Capture  by  means  of  the  Lasso  ;  the  Arab  and  his 
Mare  ;  the  Gadshill  Robber ;  the  Benevolent  Planter ;  the 
Lawyer-Highwayman  ;  as  well  as  several  other  Curious  Stories 
about  the  Intelligence,  Affection,  and  Docility  of  the  Horse. 

"  Come  away,  boys,  I  am  glad  to  see  you  again  ' 
Since  I  last  saw  you  I  have  made  an  extensive 
tour,  and  visited  some  of  the  most  romantic  and 
picturesque  scenery  in  England.  One  day  I  may 
give  you  an  account  of  what  I  saw,  and  describe 


10  STORIES  ABOUT  IXiriNCT. 

to  you  the  scenes  which  I  visited ;  but  I  must 
deny  myself  this  pleasure  at  present.  I  pro- 
mised, at  our  next  meeting,  to  tell  3'ou  some 
Tales  about  the  Instinct  of  Animals  ;  and 
I  propose  to  begin  vsath  the  Horse.  I  like  to 
interest  you  with  those  animals  with  which  you 
are  familiar,  and  to  draw  out  your  sympathies 
towards  them.  After  the  Stories  about  Dogs 
which  I  told  you,  some  of  them  exhibiting  that 
fine  animal  in  such  an  amiable  and  affectionate 
character,  1  am  sure  it  must  assume  a  new  in- 
terest in  your  mind.  Such  instances  of  fidelity 
and  attachment  could  not  fail  to  impress  you 
with  a  higher  opinion  of  the  animal  than  you 
before  possessed,  and  show  that  kindness  and 
pfood  treatment  even  to  a  brute  are  not  without 
tlieir  reward. 

'•  I  wish  to  excite  the  same  interest  towards 
the  other  animals  which,  I  hope,  I  have  effected 
towards  the  Dog.  Each,  you  will  find,  has  been 
endowed    by  its  Creator  with  particular    instincts, 


THE    AVILD    HORSE.  11 

to  fit  it  for  the  station  which  it  was  intended  to 
occupy  in  the  great  system  of  Nature.  Some  of 
them  are  wild  and  ferocious,  while  others  are 
f|uiet  and  inoffensive  ;  the  former  naturally  repel 
iiSj  while  those  of  the  latter  class  as  naturally 
attract  our  regard,  although,  properly  speaking, 
each  ought  equally  to  interest  us,  in  as  far  as  it 
fulfils  the  object  of  its  being. 

"  But  I  know  you  like  stories  better  than  lec- 
tures, so  I  will  not  tire  you  by  lecturing,  but 
will  at  once  proceed  to  tell  some  stories  about 
Horses,  which  I  have  gathered  for  you." 

"  Oh  no,  Uncle  Thomas,  we  never  feel  tired 
of  listening  to  you  ;  we  know  you  have  always 
something  curious  to  tell  us." 

"  Well,  then,  Frank,  to  begin  at  once  with 
The  Horse. 

''  In  several  parts  of  the  world  there  are  to  be 
found  large  herds  of  wild  horses.  In  South 
America,  in  particular,  the  immense  plains  are 
inhabited  by  them,  and.  it  is  said,  that  so  many 


12  STORIES  ABOLT  INSTINCT. 

35  ten  thousand  are  sometimes  found  in  a  single 
herd.  These  flocks  are  ahvays  preceded  by  a 
leader,  who  directs  their  motions ;  and  such  is 
the  regularity  with  which  they  perform  their 
movements,  that  it  seems  almost  as  if  they  could 
not  be  surpassed  by  the  best  trained  cavalry. 

"It  is  extremely  dangerous  for  travellers  to 
encounter  a  herd  of  this  description.  When  they 
are  unaccustomed  to  the  sight  of  such  a  mass 
of  creatures,  they  cannot  help  feeling  greatly 
alarmed  at  their  rapid  and  apparently  irresistible 
approach.  The  trampling  of  the  animals  sounds 
like  the  loudest  thunder ;  and  such  is  the  ra- 
pidity and  impetuosity  of  their  advance,  that  it 
seems  to  threaten  instant  destruction.  Suddenly, 
however,  they  sometimes  stop  short,  utter  a  loud 
and  piercing  neighing,  and,  with  a  rapid  wheel 
in  an  opposite  course,  altogether  disappear.  On 
such  occasions,  however,  it  requires  all  the  care 
of  the  traveller  to  prevent  his  horses  from  break- 
ing loose,  and  escaping  with  the  wild  herd. 


THE    LASSO. 


l^ 


"In  those  countries  where  horses  are  so  plen 
tifiil,  the  inhabitants  do  not  take  the  trouble  to 
rear  them,  but,  whenever  they  want  one,  mount 
upon  an  animal  which  has  been  accustomed  to 
the  sport,  and  gallop  over  the  plain  towards  the 
herd,  which  is  readily  found  at  no  great  dis- 
tance. Gradually  he  approaches  some  stragglers 
from  the  main  body,  and,  having  selected  the 
horse  which  he  wishes  to  possess,  he  dexterously 
throws  the  lasso  (which  is  a  long  rope  with  a 
running  noose,  and  which  is  firmly  fixed  to  his 
saddle,)  in  such  a  manner  as  to  entangle  the 
animal's  hind  legs  ;  and,  with  a  sudden  turn  of 
his  horse,  he  pulls  it  over  on  its  side.  In  an 
instant  he  jumps  ofi"  his  horse,  wraps  his  poncho^ 
or  cloak,  round  the  captive's  head,  forces  a  bit 
into  its  mouth,  and  straps  a  saddle  upon  its 
back.  He  then  removes  the  poncho,  and  the 
animal  starts  on  its  feet.  With  equal  quickness 
the  hunter  leaps  into  the  saddle  ;  and,  in  spite  of 
the  contortions  and  kickings  of  his  captive,  keeps 


14  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

his  seat,  till,  having  wearied  itself  out  with  its 
vain  efforts,  it  submits  to  the  discipline  of  its 
captor,  who  seldom  fails  to  reduce  it  to  complete 
obedience." 

"  That  is  very  dexterous  indeed.  Uncle  Tho- 
mas ;  but  surely  all  horses  are  not  originally  found 
in  this  wild  state.  I  have  heard  that  the  Ara- 
bians are  famous  for   rearing  horses." 

'•  Arabia  has,  for  a  long  time,  been  the  country 
noted  for  the  symmetry  and  speed  of  its  horses  : 
so  much  attention  has  been  paid  to  the  breeding 
of  horses  in  our  own  country,  however,  for  the 
race-course  as  well  as  the  hunting-field,  that  the 
English  horses  are  now  almost  unequalled,  both 
for  speed  and  endurance. 

"  It  is  little  wonder,  however,  that  the  Arabian 
horse  should  be  the  most  excellent,  considering 
the  care  and  attention  which  it  receives,  and  the 
kindness  and  consideration  with  which  it  is  treat- 
ed. One  of  the  best  stories  which  I  ever  heard 
of  the  love  of  an   Arabian   for   his  steed,   is  that 


THE    ARAB    AND    HIS    MARE.  15 

related  of  an  Arab  from  whom  one  of  our  envoys 
wished  to  purchase  his  horse. 

^'  The  animal  was  a  bright  bay  mare,  of  extra- 
ordinary shape  and  beauty  ;  and  the  owner,  proud 
of  its  appearance  and  qualities,  paraded  it  before 
the  envoy's  tent  until  it  attracted  his  attention. 
On  being  asked  if  he  would  sell  her,  ^  What 
will  you  give  me  V  was  th^  reply.  ^  That  depends 
upon  her  age  ;  I  suppose  she  is  past  five  ?'  ^  Guess 
again,'  said  he.  'Four?'  'Look  at  her  mouth,' 
said  the  Arab,  with  a  smile.  On  examination 
she  was  found  to  be  rising  three.  This,  from 
her  size  and  symmetry,  gTeatly  enhanced  her  value. 
The  envoy  said,  '  I  will  give  you  fifty  tomans' 
(a  coin  nearly  of  the  value  of  a  pound  sterling). 
'  A  little  more,  if  you  please,'  said  the  fellow, 
somewhat  entertained.  '  Eighty — a  hundred.'  He 
shook  his  head  and  smiled.  The  oflicer  at  last 
came  to  two  hundred  tomans.  '  Well,'  said  the 
Arab,  '  you  need  not  tempt  me  farther.  You  are 
a  rich  elchee  (nobleman) ;  you  have  fine  horses, 


16  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

camelsj  and  miileSj  and  I  am  told  you  have  loads 
of  silver  and  gold.  Now,'  added  he,  ^you  want 
my  mare,  but  you  shall  not  have  her  for  all  you 
have  got.^  He  put  spurs  to  his  horse,  and  was 
soon  out  of  the  reach  of  temptation, 

"  Swift  as  the  Arabian  horses  are,  however,  they 
are  frequently  matched  by  those  of  our  own 
country .  I  say  nothing  about  race  horses,  be- 
cause, thouofh  some  of  them  are  recorded  to  have 
run  at  an  amazing  speed,  the  effort  is  generally 
continued  for  but  a  short  time.  Here  is  an  in- 
stance of  speed  in  a  horse  which  saved  its  un- 
worthy master  from  the  punishment  due  to  his 
crime. 

"  One  morning  about  four  o'clock  a  gentleman 
was  stopped,  and  robbed  by  a  highwapuan  named 
Nicks,  at  Gadshill,  on  the  v\^est  side  of  Chatham. 
He  was  mounted  on  a  bay  mare  of  great  speed 
and  endurance,  and  as  soon  as  he  had  accomplished 
his  purpose,  he  instantly  started  for  Gravesend^ 
where   he  was   detained   nearly   an   hour   by  the 


THE    GADSHILL    ROBBER.  17 

difficulty  of  getting  a  boat.  He  employed  the 
interval  to  advantage  however  in  baiting  his  horse. 
From  thence  he  got  to  Essex  and  Chelmsford, 
where  he  again  stopped  about  half  an  hour  to 
refresh  his  horse.  He  then  went  to  Braintree, 
Booking,  Weathersfield.  and  over  the  Downs  to 
Cambridge,  and  still  pursuing  the  cross  roads,  he 
went  by  Fenney  and  Stratford  to  Huntingdon, 
where  he  asfain  rested  about  half  an  hour.  Pro- 
ceeding  now  on  the  north  road,  and  at  a  full  gallop 
most  of  the  way,  he  arrived  at  York  the  same 
afternoon,  put  off  his  boots  and  riding  clothes,  and 
went  dressed  to  the  bov\^ling-green,  where,  anion  o- 
other  promenaderSj  happened  to  be  the  Lord  ]Mayor 
of  the  city.  He  there  studied  to  do  something 
particular,  that  his  lordship  might  remember  him, 
and  asking  what  o'clock  it  was,  the  ma^^or  informed 
him  that  it  was  a  quarter  past  eight.  Notwithstan 
ding  all  these  precautions,  however,  he  was  disco- 
vered, and  tried  for  the  robbery ;  he  rested  his  de- 
fence on  the  fact  of  his  being  at  York  at  such  a 
2 


18  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

time.  The  gentleman  swore  positively  to  the  ;ime 
and  place  at  which  the  robbery  was  comnutted, 
but  on  the  other  hand,  the  proof  was  equally  clear 
that  the  prisoner  was  at  York  at  the  time  specified. 
The  jury  acquitted  him  on  the  supposed  impossibil- 
ity of  his  having  got  so  great  a  distance  from  Kent 
by  the  time  he  was  seen  in  the  bowling-green. 
Yet  he  was  the  highwayman." 

"  So  that  he  owed  his  safety  to  the  sipe^,d  of  his 
horse,  Uncle  Thomas." 

"  He  did  so,  Harry.  The  horse  can  on  occasion 
swim  about  as  well  as  most  animals,  yet  it  never 
takes  to  the  water  unless  urged  to  do  so.  There 
is  a  story  about  a  horse  saving  the  lives  of  many 
persons  who  had  suffered  shipwreck  by  being  driven 
upon  the  rocks  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  v/hich,  I 
am  sure,  will  interest  you  as  much  for  the  perseve- 
rance and  docility  of  the  animal,  as  for  the  benevo 
lence  and  intrepidity  of  its  owner. 

"  A  violent  ^ale  of  wind  settingf  in  from  north 
and  north-west,  a  vessel  in  the  roads  dragged  her 


THE    BENEVOLENT    PLANTER.  10 

anchors,  was  forced  on  the  rocks,  and  bilged  ; 
and  Vv'hile  the  greater  part  of  the  crew  fell  an  imme- 
diate sacrifice  to  tlie  waves,  the  remainder  were  seen 
from  the  shore  struggling  for  their  lives,  by  cling- 
ing to  the  different  pieces  of  the  wreck.  The  sea  ran 
dreadfully  high,  and  broke  over  the  sailors  with  such 
amazing  fury,  tliat  no  lx)at  whatever  could  venture 
off  to  their  assistance.  Meanwhile  a  planter,  con- 
siderably advanced  in  life,  had  come  from  his  farm 
to  be  a  spectator  of  the  shipwreck ;  his  heart  was 
melted  at  the  sight  of  the  unhappy  seamen,  and 
knowing  the  bold  and  enterprizing  spirit  of  his 
horse,  and  his  particular  excellence  as  a  swimmer, 
he  instantly  determined  to  make  a  desperate  effort 
for  their  deliverance.  He  alighted,  and  blew  a  little 
brandy  into  his  horse's  nostrils,  and  ao-ciin  seatinp 
himself  in  the  saddle,  he  instantly  pushed  into  the 
midst  of  the  breakers.  At  first  both  disappeared, 
but  it  was  not  long  before  they  floated  on  the 
surface,  and  swam  up  to  the  v/reck  ;  when  taking 
with  liim  two  men,  each  of  whom  held  by  one  of 


20  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

his  boots,  he  brought  them  safe  to  shore.  This 
perilous  expedition  he  repeated  no  seldomer  than 
seven  times,  and  saved  fourteen  lives  ;  but  on  his 
return  the  eisrhth  time,  his  horse  being:  much  fa- 
tiofued,  and  meeting  a  most  formidable  wave,  he  lost 
his  balance,  and  was  overwhelmed  in  a  moment. 
The  horse  swam  safely  to  land,  but  his  gallant 
rider  sank  to  rise  no  more." 

"  That  was  very  unfortunate,  Uncle  Thomas. 
I  suppose  the  planter  had  been  so  fatigued  v/ith 
Ms  previous  exertions,  that  he  had  not  stxcngth 
to  struo-o^le  with  the  strong^  waves." 

"  Very  likely,  indeed,  Harry.  I  dare  say  the 
poor  animal  felt  the  loss  of  his  kind  owner  veiy 
much,  for  the  horse  soon  becomes  attached  to  his 
master,  and  exhibits  traits  of  intelligence  and 
fidelity,  certainly,*  not  sui^ioassed  by  those  of  any 
other  animal  :  for  instance, — A  gentleman,  who 
was  one  dark  nio;ht  ridinor  home  throuo^h  a 
wood,  had  the  misfortune  to  strike  his  head 
against   the   branch    of  a   tree,    and  fell    from  his 


THE    AFFECTIONATE    HORSE.  21 

horse  stunned  by  the  blow.  The  noble  animal 
immediately  returned  to  the  house  they  had  left, 
which  stood  about  a  mile  distant.  He  found 
the  door  closed, — the  family  had  retired  to  bed. 
He  pawed  at  it,  however,  till  one  of  them,  hear- 
ing the  noise,  arose  and  opened  it,  and,  to  his 
surprise,  saw  the  horse  of  his  friend.  No  sooner 
was  the  door  opened  than  the  horse  turned 
round  as  if  it  wished  to  be  followed ;  and  the 
man,  suspecting  there  was  something  wrong,  fol- 
lowed the  animal,  which  led  him  directly  to  the 
spot  where  its  wounded  master  lay  on  the 
ground. 

"  There  is  another  story  of  a  somewhat  siinilar 
description  in  which  a  horse  saved  his  master  from 
perishing  among  the  snow.  It  happened  in  the 
North  of  Scotland. 

"  A  gentleman  connected  with  the  Excise  was 
returning  home  from  one  of  his  professional  jour- 
nies.  His  way  lay  across  a  range  of  hills,  the 
road    ov^er  which  was   so  blocked    up  with  snow 


22  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

as  to  leave  all  trace  of  it  indiscernible.  Un- 
certain how  to  proceed,  he  resolved  to  tiiist  to 
his  horse,  and  throwing  loose  the  reins,  allowed 
him  to  choose  his  .course.  The  animal  proceeded 
cautiously,  and  safely  for  some  time,  till  coming 
to  a  ravine,  horse  and  rider  sunk  in  a  snow- 
wreath  several  fathoms  deep. 

"  Stunned  by  the  suddenness  and  depth  of  the 
descent,  the  gentleman  lay  for  some  time  insensi- 
ble. On  recovering,  he  found  himself  nearly 
three  yards  from  the  dangerous  spot,  with  his 
faithful  horse  standing  over  him  and  licking  the 
snow  from  his  face.  He  accounts  for  his  extri- 
cation, by  supposing  that  the  bridle  must  have 
been  attaclied  to  his  person,  but  so  completely 
had  he  lost  all  sense  of  consciousness,  that 
beyond  tlie  bare  fact  as  stated,  he  had  no  know- 
ledge of  the  means  by  which  he  made  so  re- 
markable an  escape." 

"  It  was  at  any  rate  very  kind  in  the  horse  to 
clear  away  the  snow.  Uncle  Thomas." 


ANIMAL    FRIENDSHIP.  23 

"  ]No  doubt  of  it,  John,  and  perhaps  he  owed 
his  life  quite  as  much  to  this  act  of  kindness  as 
to  being  pulled  out  of  the  ravine.  He  might 
have  been  as  certainly  choked  by  the  snow  out 
of  it  as  in  it.  Sometimes  the  horse  becomes 
much  attached  to  the  animals  with  which  it  asso- 
ciates, and  its  feelings  of  friendship  are  as  power- 
erful  as  those  of  the  dog,  A  gentleman  of  Bris- 
tol had  a  greyhound  which  slept  in  the  same 
stable,  and  contracted  a  very  great  intimacy  with 
a  fine  hunter.  \VTien  the  dog  was  taken  out,  the 
horse  neighed  wistfully  after  him,  and  seemed 
to  long  for  its  return  ;  he  welcomed  him  home 
with  a  neigh ;  the  greyhound  ran  up  to  the 
horse  and  licked  him;  the  horse,  in  return, 
scratched  the  greyhound's  back  with  liis  teetli. 
On  one  occasion,  when  the  groom  had  the  pair 
out  for  exercise,  a  large  dog  attacked  the  grey- 
hound, bore  him  to  the  ground,  and  seemed 
likely  to  worry  him,  when  the  horse  threw 
back  his  ears,  rushed  forward,  seized  the  strange 


M  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

dog  by  the    back,   and  flung   him   to   a   distance 
which  so  terrified    the  aggressor,  that  he  at  once 
desisted  and  made  off." 

'•  That  was  very  kind.  Uncle  Thomas.  I  like 
to  hear  of  such  instances  of  friendship  between 
animals." 

"  Such  a  docile  animal  as  the  horse  can 
readily  be  trained  to  particular  habits,  and  does 
not  readily  forget  them,  however  disreputable. 
There  is  an  odd  story  to  illustrate  this. 

"  About  the  middle  of  last  century,  a  Scottish 
lawyer  had  occasion  to  visit  the  metropolis.  At 
that  period  such  journies  were  usually  performed 
on  horseback,  and  the  traveller  might  either  ride 
post,  or,  if  willing  to  travel  econoniically,  he 
bought  a  horse,  and  sold  him  at  the  end  of  his 
journey.  The  lawyer  had  chosen  the  latter 
mode  of  travelling,  and  sold  the  animal  on  which 
he  rode  from  Scotland  as  soon  as  he  arrived  in 
London.  With  a  view  to  his  return,  he  went  to 
Smithfield  to   purchase   a  horse.     About   dusk   a 


THE    LAWYER-HIGHWAYMAN.  25 

handsome  one  was  olTercd,  at  so  cheap  a  rate 
that  he  suspected  the  soundness  of  the  animal, 
but  beinof  able  to  discover  no  blemish,  he  becamt 
the  purchaser. 

"  Next  morning,  he  set  out  on  his  journey , 
tlie  horse  had  excellent  paces,  and  our  traveller, 
while  riding  over  the  few  first  miles,  where  the 
road  was  well  frequented,  did  not  fail  to  con- 
gratulate himself  on  his  good  fortune,  which  had 
led  him  to  make  so  advantagfeous  a  baro-ain. 

"  They  arrived  at  leist  at  Finchley  Common, 
and  at  a  place  where  the  road  ran  down  a  slight 
eminence,  and  up  another,  the  lawyer  met  a  cler- 
g}aTian  driving  a  one-horse  chaise.  There  was 
nobody  within  sight,  and  the  horse  by  his  con- 
duct instantly  discovered  the  profession  of  his 
former  owner.  Instead  of  pursuing  his  journey, 
he  ran  close  up  to  the  chaise  and  stopt  it, 
havino:  no  doubt  but  his  rider  would  embrace  so 
fair  an  opportunity  of  exercising  his  calling. 
The  clergyman  seemed  of  the  same  opinion,  pro- 


26  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

duccd  his  purse  unasked,  and  assured  the  aston- 
ished lawyer  that  it  was  quite  unnecessary  to 
draw  his  pistol,  as  he  did  not  intend  to  offer 
any  resistance.  The  traveller  rallied  his  horse, 
and  with  many  apologies  to  the  gentleman  he 
had  so  innocently  and  unwillingly  affright ed^ 
pursued  his  journey. 

'•  They  had  not  proceeded  far  when  the  horse 
ao-ain  made  the  same  suspicious  approach  to  a 
coachj  from  the  window  of  which  a  blunderbuss 
was  levelled,  with  denunciations  of  death  and 
destruction  to  the  hapless  and  perplexed  rider. 
In  short,  after  his  life  had  been  once  or  twice 
endangered  by  the  suspicions  to  which  the  con- 
duct of  hi:  horse  gave  rise,  and  his  liberty  as 
ouen  threatiTied  by  the  peace-officers,  who  were 
disposed  to  apprehend  him  as  a  notorious  high- 
wayman, the  former  owner  of  the  horse,  he  was 
obliged  to  part  with  the  inauspicious  animal  foi 
a  trifle,  and  to  purchase  one  less  beautiful^ 
out  not  accustomed  to  such  dano^erous  habits." 


THE    FAITHFUL    HORSE.  27 

«  Capital;  Uncle  Thomas  !  I  should  Iiave  liked 
;o  have  seen  the  perplexed  look  of  the  poor 
la\\^^er,  when  he  saw  the  blunderbuss  make  its 
appearance  at  the  carriage  window  !*' 

"  There  is  one  other  stoiy  about  the  horse, 
showinof  his  love  for  his  master,  and  the  o-entle- 
ness  of  his  character.  A  horse  which  was  re 
markable  for  its  antipathy  to  strangers,  one  eve- 
ning, while  bearing  his  master  home  from  a  jovial 
meeting,  became  disburthened  of  his  rider,  who, 
having  indulged  rather  freely,  soon  went  to  sleep 
on  the  ground.  The  horse,  however,  did  not 
scamper  off,  but  kept  faithful  watch  by  his  pros- 
trate master  till  the  morning,  when  the  two 
were  perceived  about  sunrise  by  some  labourers. 
They  approached  the  gentleman,  with  the  inten- 
tion of  replacing  him  on  his  saddle,  but  every 
atten:ipt  on  their  part  was  resolutely  opposed  by 
the  grinning  teeth  and  ready  heels  of  the  horse, 
which  would  neither  allow  them  to  touch  his 
master,   nor   suffer  himself  to   be   seized    till    the 


28  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

gentleman  himself  a^voke  from  his  sleep.  The 
same  horse,  among  other  bad  propensities,  con- 
stantly resented  the  attempts  of  the  groom  to 
trim  i:s  fetlocks.  This  circnmstance  happened 
to  be  mentioned  by  its  owner  in  conversation,  in 
the  presence  of  his  yonngest  child,  a  very  few 
years  old,  when  he  defied  any  man  to  perform 
the  operation  singly.  The  father  next  day,  in 
passing  through  the  stable-yard,  beheld  with  the 
utmost  distress,  the  infant  employed  with  a  pair 
of  scissors  in  clipping  the  fetlocks  of  the  hind- 
legs  of  this  vicious  hunter — an  operation  which 
had  been  always  hitherto  performed  with  great 
danger  even  by  a  nimiber  of  men.  Instead,  how- 
ever, of  exhibiting  his  usual  vicious  disposition, 
the  horse,  in  the  present  case,  was  looking  with 
the  greatest  complacency  on  the  little  groom, 
who  soon  after,  to  the  very  great  relief  of  his 
father,  walked  off  unhurt." 


CHAPTER   II. 

Uxiclc  Thomas  tells  about  the  Beaver,  and  the  Singular  ^Manner 
in  which  it  Constructs  a  Dam  to  confine  the  Waters  of  the 
River;  and  about  the  Hut  which  it  builds  for  its  Habitation. 
He  tells  also  abuut  the  Curious  Nests  of  the  Sociable  Grosbeak ; 
and  cfivcs  a  Long  and  Entertaining  Account  of  the  White  Ant 
of  Africa  ;  its  Extraordinary  Nest ;  and  the  Important  Part 
which  it  acts  in  the  Economy  of  Nature. 

'•  Gooj:>  evening.  Boys  !  I  am  going  to  tell  you 
about  a  veiy  sins^ular  animal  to-night — ^singular 
both  in  its  conformation  and  its  habits.  I  allude 
to  the  Beaver." 

'•  Oh.  we  shall  be  so  glad  to  hear  about  the 
Beaver,  Uncle  Thomas.  I  have  sometimes  won- 
dered what  sort  of  an  animal  it  is.  It  is  of  ils 
skin  tliat  hats  are  made — is  it  not  ?" 

"  It  is  so,  Harry — at  least  it  is  of  the  fur  with 
which  its  skin  is  covered.  I  must  tell  you  about 
the  manufacture  of  hats  at  some  other  time.     Our 


30  STORIES  ABOrT  INSTINCT. 

business  at  present  is  with  the  Beaver  itself.  I 
think  we  shall  get  on  better  by  confining  our 
attention  to  the  animal  now,  and  examine  into 
its  habits  and  instincts." 

'•  Very  well,  Uncle  Thomas,  we  are  all  atten- 
tion." 

"  The  Beaver,  which  is  now  only  to  be  found 
ill  the  more  inaccessible  parts  of  America,  and 
the  more  northern  countries  of  Europe,  affords  a 
curious  instance  of  what  may  be  called  a  com- 
pound structure.  It  has  the  fore-feet  of  a  land 
animal,  and  the  hind  ones  of  an  aquatic  one — 
the  latter  only  bemg  webbed.  Its  tail  is  covered 
with  scales  like  a  fish,  and  serves  to  direct  its 
course  in  the  water,  in  which  it  spends  mucli  of 
its  time. 

"  On  the  rivers  where  they  abound,  they  form 
societies  sometimes  consisting  of  upwards  of  two 
hundred.  They  begin  to  assemble  about  the 
months  of  June  and  July,  and  generally  choose 
for  the  place  of  their  future  habitation  the    sida 


THE    BEAVER.  31 

of  some  lake  or  river.  If  a  lake,  in  which  the 
water  is  ahvf  ^s  pretty  nearly  of  a  uniform  level, 
they  dispense  with  building  a  dam,  but  if  the 
place  they  fix  upon  be  the  banks  of  a  river, 
they  immediately  set  about  constructing  a  pier 
or  dam,  to  confine  the  water,  so  that  they  may 
always  have  a  good  supply." 

"  That  is  an  instance  of  very  singular  sagacity 
Uncle  Thomas.  I  suppose  it  is  their  instincf 
which  teaches  them  to  act  in  this  manner." 

'-  You  are  right,  Frank.  Well,  the  mode  in 
which  they  set  about  constructing  the  dam  is 
this  :  haAdng  fixed  upon  the  spot,  they  go  into  the 
neighbouring  forest,  and  cut  quantities  of  the 
smaller  branches  of  trees,  which  they  forthwith 
convey  to  the  place  selected,  and  having  fixed  them 
in  the  earth,  interw^eave  them  strongly  and  closely, 
filling  up  all  the  crevices  with  mud  and  stones,  so 
as  soon  to  make  a  most  compact  construction." 

'•  That  must  be  a  work  of  very  great  labour, 
Uncle  Thomas." 


32  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

"  The  xabour  is  very  considerable,  Be  ys ;  but 
the  power  which,  for  want  of  a  better  nuTcm,  we 
call  Instinct,  comes  wonderfully  to  their  aid.  For 
instance,  it  has  been  observed  that  they  seek  all 
the  branches  which  they  want  on  the  banks  of 
the  river,  higher  up  than  their  construction,  so 
that  having  once  got  them  conveyed  to  the  water, 
they  are  easily  floated  to  it." 

"  Yery  good,  Uncle  Thomas." 

"  When  the  beavers  have  finished  the  dam, 
they  then  proceed  to  construct  a  house  for  them- 
selves. First  they  dig  a  foundation  of  greater  or 
less  capacity,  in  proportion  to  the  number  of 
their  society.  They  then  form  the  walls  of  earth 
and  stones,  mixed  with  billets  of  wood  crossing 
each  other,  and  thus  tying  the  fabric  together 
just  in  the  same  way  as  you  sometimes  see  ma- 
sons do  in  building  human  dwellings.  Their 
huts  are  generally  of  a  circular  form,  something 
like  the  figure  of  a  haycock,  and  tliey  have 
usually  several    entrances — one    or  more    opening 


THE    BEAVER.  33 

into  the  river  or  lake,  below  the  surfuce  of  the 
water,  and  one  communicating  with  any  bushes 
and  brusliwood  which  may  be  at  hand,  so  as  to 
afford  the  means  of  escape  in  case  of  attack  either 
on  the  land  or  water  side." 

''  They  must  be  pretty  safe  then.  Uncle  Tho- 
mas, since  they  can  so  readily  escape." 

"  They  are  pretty  secure  so  long  as  they  have 
only  unreasoning  animals  to  contend  with,  Frank ; 
but  when  man,  armed  with  the  power,  before 
wliich  mere  Instinct  must  at  all  times  bow,  at- 
tacks them,  they  are  very  easily  overcome.  Shall 
I  tell  you  how  the  hunters  capture  them  V 

"  if  you  please,  Uncle  Thomas." 

"  Very  well.  I  must  first  tell  you  that  ihe  skin 
of  the  Beaver  is  most  valuable  during  winter,  as 
Ihe  fur  is  then  thicker  and  finer  than  during  the 
summer.  They  are  therefore  very  little  if  at  aL 
molested  during  summer  by  the  hunters.  When 
winter  sets  in,  however,  and  the  lakes  and  rivers 
are  frozen  over,  a  party  of  hunters  set  out  to  seek 
3 


34  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

for  the  Deaver  colonies,  and,  having  found  them, 
tLey  make  a  number  of  holes  in  the  ice.  Having 
done  this  and  concerted  measures,  they  break 
down  the  huts,  and  the  animals  instantly  get 
into  the  water  as  a  place  of  safety.  As  they 
cannot  remain  long  under  water,  however,  they 
have  soon  occasion  to  come  to  the  surface  to 
breathe,  and  of  course  make  for  the  holes  which 
the  hunters  have  formed  in  the  ice,  when  the 
latter,  who  are  waiting  in  readiness,  knock  them 
on  the  head." 

'•  But,  Uncle  Thomas,  don't  you  think  it  is 
very  cruel  to  kill  the  beaver  so  ?  I  believe  it 
feeds  entirely  on  vegetables,  and  does  no  harm  to 
any  one." 

"  You  might  say  the  same,  John,  of  the  sheep 
on  the^  downs  ;  the  one  is  not  more  cruel  than 
the  other :  both  are  useful  to  man,  and  furnish 
him  with  food  as  well  as  raiment,  and  both  were, 
of  course,  included  in  the  '  dominion'  which  God 
originally  gave  to  man  '  over  the  beasts  of  the  field.' " 


THE   BEAVER.  35 

"Is  the  beaver  used  for  food,  then,  Uncle 
Thomas  ?" 

"  It  is,  and  except  during  a  small  part  of  the 
year,  when  it  feeds  on  the  root  of  the  water-lily, 
which  communicates  a  peculiar  flavour  to  the 
flesh  of  the  animal,  it  is  said  to  be  very  palatable. 
It  is,  however,  principally  for  its  fur  that  it  is 
hunted ;  the  skin,  even,  is  of  little  value,  being 
coarser  and  looser  in  texture,  and  of  course  less 
applicable  to  general  uses,  than  that  of  many 
other  animals.  I  dare  say  you  have  often  seen 
it  made  into  cloves. 

o 

"  I  will  now  read  to  you  an  account  of  a  tame 
beaver,  which  its  owner,  Mr.  Broderip,  commu- 
nicated to  Uhe  Gardens  and  Menaoferie  of  the 
Zoological  Society.' 

"  The  animal  arrived  in  this  countiy  in  the 
winter  of  1825,  very  young,  being  small  and 
woolly,  and  without  the  covering  of  long  hair, 
which  mai'ks  the  adult  beaver.  It  was  the  sole 
survivor  of  five  or  six  which  were  shipped  at  the 


36  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

same  time,  and  was  in  a  very  pitiable  condition. 
Good  treatment  soon  made  it  familiar.  Wlien 
called  by  its  name,  '  Binny/  it  generally  answered 
with  a  little  cry,  and  came  to  its  owner.  The 
hearth  rng  was  its  favourite  haunt,  and  thereon 
it  would  lie,  stretched  out,  sometimes  on  its  back, 
and  sometimes  flat  on  its  belly,  but  always  near 
its  master.  The  building  instinct  showed  itself 
immediately  after  it  was  let  out  of  its  cage,  and 
materials  were  placed  in  its  way, — and  this,  before 
it  had  been  a  week  in  its  new  quarters.  Its 
strength,  even  before  it  was  half  grown,  was 
great.  It  would  drag  along  a  large  sweeping- 
brush,  or  a  warming-pan,  gi'asping  the  handle 
with  its  teeth,  so  that  the  load  came  over  its 
shoulder,  and  advanchig  in  an  oblique  direction, 
till  it  arrived  at  the  point  where  it  wished  to  place 
it.  The  long  and  large  materials  were  always 
taken  first,  and  two  of  the  longest  were  generally 
laid  crosswise,  with  one  of  the  ends  of  each  touch- 
ing the  wall,  and    the  other  ends    projecting  out 


THE    BEAVER.  37 

into  the  room.  The  area  formed  by  the  crossed 
brushes  and  the  wall  he  would  fill  up  with  hand- 
brushes,  rush  baskets,  books,  boots,  sticks,  cloths, 
dried  turf,  or  any  thing  portable.  As  the  work 
grew  high,  he  supported  himself  on  his  tail,  which 
propped  him  up  admirably  :  and  he  would  often, 
after  laying  on  one  of  his  building  materials,  sit 
up  over  against  it,  apparently  to  consider  his 
work,  or,  as  the  country  people  say,  'judge  it.' 
This  pause  was  sometimes  followed  by  changing 
the  position  of  the  material  'judged,'  and  some- 
tiiaes  it  was  left  in  its  place.  After  he  had  piled 
up  his  materials  in  one  part  of  the  room  (for  he 
generally  chose  the  same  place),  he  proceeded  to 
wall  up  the  space  between  the  feet  of  a  chest  of 
drawers,  which  stood  at  a  little  distance  from  it, 
high  enough  on  its  legs  to  make  the  bottom  a 
roof  for  him;  using  for  this  purpose  dried  turl 
and  sticks,  which  he  laid  very  even,  and  filling 
up  the  interstices  with  bits  of  coal,  hay,  cloth,  o\ 
any  thing  he  could  pick  up.     This  last  place  he 


38  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

seemed  to  appropriate  for  his  dwelling ;  the  for- 
mer work  seemed  to  be  intended  for  a  dam.  When 
he  had  walled  up  the  space  between  the  feet  of 
the  chest  of  drawers,  he  proceeded  to  carry  in 
sticks,  clothS;  hay,  cotton,  and  to  make  a  nest  j 
and.  wh-en  he  had  done,  he  would  sit  up  under 
the  drawers,  and  comb  himself  with  the  nails  ol 
his  hind  feet.  In  this  operation,  that  which  ap- 
peared at  first  to  be  a  malformation,  was  shown 
to  be  a  beautiful  adaptation  to  the  necessities  of 
the  animal.  The  hvige  webbed  hind  feet  often 
turn  in,  so  as  to  give  the  appearance  of  deformi- 
ties ;  but  if  the  toes  were  straight,  instead  of  being 
incun-ed,  the  animal  could  not  use  them  for  the 
purpose  of  keeping  its  fur  in  order,  and  cleansing 
it  from  dirt  and  moisture. 

'•  Binny  generally  carried  small  and  light  arti- 
cles between  his  right  fore  leg  and  his  chin, 
walking  on  the  other  three  legs  ;  and  large  masses, 
which  he  could  not  grasp  readily  with  his  teeth, 
he  pushed  forwards,  leaning  against  them  with  his 


THE    BEAVKR.  39 

right  fore  paw  and  his  chiii.  He  never  carried 
anything  on  his  tail,  which  he  liked  to  dip  in 
water,  but  he  was  not  fond  of  plunging  in  his 
whole  body-  If  his  tail  was  kept  nioist,  he  never 
cared  to  drink,  but,  if  it  was  kept  dry,  it  became 
hot,  and  the  animal  appear^  distressed,  and  w^ould 
drink  a  great  deaL  It  is  not  impossible  that  the 
tail  may  have  the  power  of  absorbing  water,  like 
the  skin  of  frogs,  though  it  must  be  ow^ied  that 
the  scaly  integument  which  invests  that  member 
has  not  much  of  the  character  which  generally 
belongs  to  absorbing  surfaces. 

"  Bread,  and  bread  and  milk,  and  sugar,  formed 
the  principal  part  of  Binny's  food ;  but  he  was 
very  fond  of  succulent  fruits  and  roots.  He  was 
a  most  entertaining  creature  j  and  some  highly 
comic  scenes  occurred  between  the  worthy,  but 
slow  beaver,  and  a  light  and  airy  macauco.  that 
was  kept  in  the  same  apartment." 

"I  think  I  have  read,  Uncle,  tliat  beavers  use 
their    tails    as    trowels    to    plaster    their    houses, 


40  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

and  as  sledges  to  carry  the  materials  to  build 
huts." 

"  I  dare  say,  you  have^  Frank ;  but  I  believe 
such  stories  are  mere  fables,  told  by  the  ignorant 
to  excite  wonder  in  the  minds  of  the  credulous. 
No  such  operations  have  been  observed  by  the 
most  accurate  observers  of  the  animal's  habits. 
The  wonderful  instinct  which  they  display  in 
building  their  houses  is  quite  sufficient  to  excite 
our  admiration,  without  having  recourse  to  false 
and  exaggerated  statements." 

"  The  building  instinct  of  the  beaver  is  veiy 
curious,  Uncle  Thomas.  Is  it  displayed  by  any 
other  animal  ?" 

^-  All  animals  exhibit  it  more  or  less,  Harry,  and 
birds  in  particular,  in  the  construction  of  their 
nests,  some  of  which  ai'e  veiy  curious  indeed ; 
perhaps  one  of  the  most  striking  instances  is  that 
of  the  Sociable  Grosbeak,  a  bird  v\^hich  is  found 
in  the  interior  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  They 
construct  their  nests  under   one  roof,  which  they 


THE    SOCIABLE    GROSBEAK.  41 

form  of  the  branches  of  some  taU  and  wide-spread- 
ing tree,  thatching  it  all  over,  as  it  were,  with  a 
species  of  grass, 

'•  AVhen  they  have  got  their  habitation  fairly 
covered  in  they  lay  out  the  inside,  according  lo 
some  travellers,  into  regular  streets,  with  nests  on 
both  sides,  about  a  couple  of  inches  distant  from 
each  other.  lii  one  respect,  however,  they  differ 
from  the  beaver,  they  do  not  appear  to  lay  up  a 
common  store  of  food,  the  nature  of  the  climate 
not  rendering  such  a  precaution  necessary. 

^-  Here  is  the  account  of  one  of  these  erections 
furnished  by  a  gentleman  who  minutely  examined 
the  structure. 

"  I  observed  on  the  way  a  tree  with  an  enormous 
nest  of  those  birds,  to  v/hich  I  have  given  the 
appellation  of  republicans  ;  and,  as  soon  as  I  ar- 
rived at  my  camp,  I  despatched  a  few  men,  with 
a  waggon,  to  bring  it  to  me,  tliat  I  miglit  open 
the  hive,  and  examine  the  structure  in  its  mi- 
nutest parts.     "Wlien  it  arrived,  I  cut  it  in   pieces 


42  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

until  a  hatclet,  a'.d  found  that  the  chief  portion 
of  the  structure  consisted  of  a  mass  of  Boshman*s 
grass,  without  any  mixture,  but  so  compact  and 
firmly  basketed  together  as  to  be  impenetrable  to 
the  rain.  This  is  the  eonomencement  of  the  struc- 
ture ;  and  each  bird  builds  its  particular  nest 
under  this  canopy.  But  the  nests  are  formed  only 
beneath  the  eaves  of  the  canopy,  the  upper  surface 
remaining  void,  without,  however,  being  useless  ; 
for,  as  it  has  a  projecting  rim,  and  is  a  little  in- 
clined; it  serves  to  let  the  rain-water  run  off,  and 
preserves  each  little  dwelling  from  the  rain. 
Figure  to  yourself  a  huge  irregular  sloping  roof, 
and  all  the  eaves  of  which  are  completely  covered 
with  nests,  crowded  one  against  another,  and  you 
will  have  a  tolerably  accurate  idea  of  these  singu- 
lar edifices. 

"Each  individual  nest  is  three  or  four  inches 
in  diameter,  which  is  sufficient  for  the  bird.  But 
as  they  are  all  in  contact  with  one  another,  around 
the  eavesj  they  appear  to  the  eye  to  form  but  one 


THE    SOCIABLE    GROSBEAK.  43 

building,  ahd  are  distinguishable  from  each  other 
only  by  a  little  external  aperture,  which  serves  as 
an  entrance  to  tlie  nest ;  and  even  this  is  some- 
times common  to  three  different  nests,  one  oi 
which  is  situated  at  tlie  bottom,  and  tlie  other  two 
at  the  sides.  According  to  Paterson.  the  number 
of  cells  increasing  in  proportion  to  the  increase  of 
inhabitants,  the  old  ones  become  '  streets  of  com- 
munication, formed  by  line  and  level.'  Xo  doubt, 
as  the  republic  increases,  the  cells  must  be  multi- 
plied also ;  but  it  is  easy  to  imagine  that,  as  the 
augmentation  can  take  place  only  at  the  surface, 
the  new  buildings  will  necessarily  cover  the  old 
ones,  which  must  therefore  be  abandoned. 

"Should  these  even,  contrary  to  all  probabilit}', 
be  able  to  subsist,  it  may  be  presumed  that  the 
depth  of  their  situation,  by  preventing  any 
circulation  and  renewal  of  the  air,  would  render 
them  so  extremely  hot  as  to  be  uninliabita- 
ble.  But  while  they  thus  become  useless,  they 
would  remain  what    they  were    before,  real    nests, 


44  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

and  change  neither  into  streets  nor  sleeping- 
rooms. 

"  The  large  nest  which  1  examined  was  one  of 
the  most  considerable  which  I  had  seen  any  where 
on  my  journey,  and  contained  three  hundred  and 
twenty  inhabited  cells." 

'•  Well,  Uncle  Thomas,  that  is  veiy  curious  ;  I 
don't  know  which  most  to  admire.  I  rather  incline 
to  the  beaver  however,  because  of  the  winter  store 
of  food  which  he  lays  up." 

''  There  is  another  animal  which  displays  the 
building  instinct  so  remarkably,  that  I  must  telJ 
you  something  about  it  before  we  part." 

'•  Which  is  it,  Uncle  Thomas  ?" 

"  It  is  the  white  ant  of  Africa ;  it  is  a  little 
an'mal,  scarcely,  if  at  all,  exceeding  in  size  those 
of  our  own  country,  yet  they  construct  large  nests 
of  a  conical  or  sugar  loaf  shape,  sometimes  from 
ten  to  twelve  feet  in  height ;  and  one  species  builds 
them  so  strong  and  compact,  that  even  when  they 
are  raised  to  little  more  than  half  their  height,  the 


THE    WHITE    ANT.  45 

wild-bulls  of  the  country  use  them  as  sentinel  posts 
to  watch  over  the  safety  of  the  herd  which  grazes 
beloAv. 

"  Mr.  Smeathman,  a  naturalist  fully  capable  to 
do  justice  to  the  nature  of  these  erections^  states, 
that  on  one  occasion  he  and  four  men  stood  on  the 
top  of  one  of  them.  So  you  may  guess  how  strong 
they  are." 

'•  Of  what  are  they  made,  Uncle  Thomas  ? 
They  must  be  very  curious  structures.  How  very 
different  from  the  ant  hills  of  England  !" 

"  Yq^y  different,  indeed,  John.  They  are  made 
of  clay  and  sand,  and  as  in  such  a  luxuriant 
climate  they  soon  become  coated  over  with  grass, 
they  quickly  assume  the  appearance  of  hay-cocks. 
They  are  indeed  very  remarkable  structures, 
whether  we  consider  them  externally  or  internally, 
and  are  said  to  excel  those  of  the  beaver  and  the 
bee  in  the  same  proportion  as  the  inhabitants  of  the 
most  polished  European  nation  excel  the  huts  of 
the  rude    inhabitants   of   the   country  where   the 


46  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

Termites  or  white  ants  abound ;  while  in  regard 
to  mere  size,  Mr.  Smeathman  calculates  that,  sup- 
posing a  man's  ordinary  height  to  be  six  feet,  the 
nests  of  these  creatures  may  be  considered,  relative 
to  their  size  and  that  of  man's,  as  being  raised  to 
four  times  the  height  of  the  largest  Egyptian  pyra- 
mids." 

"  That  is  enormous,  Uncle  Thomas  ?" 
"  It  is  indeed,  Frank ;  but  strange  though  it  is, 
the  interior  of  the  nest  is  even  more  remarkable, 
many  parts  of  its  construction  falling  little  short  of 
human  ingenuity.  I  need  not  attempt  to  describe 
all  its  arrangements,  which,  without  a  plan,  would 
be  nearly  unintelligible  ;  but  there  is  one  device  so 
admirable  that  I  must  point  it  out  to  you.  The 
nest  is  formed  of  two  floors,  as  it  were,  and  all 
round  the  walls  are  galleries  perforated  in  various 
winding  directions,  and  leading  to  the  store-houses 
of  the  colony,  or  to  the  nurseries  where  the  eggs 
are  deposited.  As  it  is  sometimes  convenient  to 
reach  the  galleries  which  open  from  the  upper  roof 


THE    WHITE    ANT.  47 

without  threading  all  the  intricacies  of  these  wind- 
ing passages,  they  construct  bridges  of  a  single 
archj  and  thus  at  once  reach  the  upper  roof,  from 
which  these  diverge.  They  are  thus  also  saved 
much  labour,  in  transporting  provisions,  and  in 
bearing  the  eggs  to  the  places  where  they  remain 
till  they  are  hatched." 

"  That  is  indeed  admirable,  Uncle  Thomas ;  they 
must  be  very  curious  animals." 

"  They  are  divided  into  various  classes,  in  the 
same  way  as  bees  ;  choosing  a  queen,  and  some 
of  them  acting  as  workers,  dec.  But  the  white 
ants  have  a  class  to  which  there  is  nothinof  similar 
among  any  other  race  of  insects.  These  are 
what  Smeathman  calls  soldiers,  from  the  duties 
which  they  perform.  They  are  much  less  nume- 
rous than  the  workers,  being  somewhat  in  the 
proportion  of  one  in  one  hundred.  The  duty  of 
the  soldier-insects  is  to  protect  the  nest  when  it 
is  attacked.  They  are  furnished  with  long  and 
slender  jaws,  and  when  enraged  bite  very  fiercely, 


48  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

and  sometimes  even  drive  off  the  negroes  who  may 
have  attacked  them,  and  even  white  people  suffei 
severely, — the  bite  bleeding  profusely  even  through 
the  stocking.  Some  one  who  observed  the  colony 
alarmed,  by  having  p^rt  of  the  nest  broken  down^ 
gives  the  following  account  of  the  subsequent  ope- 
rations. One  of  the  soldiers  first  makes  his  ap- 
pearance, as  if  to  see  if  the  enemy  be  gone,  and  to 
learn  whence  the  attack  proceeds.  By  and  by  two 
or  three  others  make  their  appearance,  and  soon 
afterwards  a  numerous  body  rushes  out,  which 
increases  in  number  so  long  as  the  attack  is  cc»n- 
tinued.  They  are  at  this  time  in  a  state  of  the 
most  violent  agitation  ;  some  employed  in  beating 
upon  the  building  with  their  mandibles,  so  as  to 
make  a  noise  which  may  be  distinctly  heard  at  the 
distance  of  three  or  four  feet.  AYhenever  the 
attack  is  discontinued,  the  soldiers  retire  first,  and 
are  quickly  followed  by  the  labourers,  which 
hasten  in  various  directions  towards  the  breach, 
each  with  a  burden  of  mortar  ready  tempered,  and 


THE    WHITE    ANT.  49 

thus  they  soon  repair  the  chasm.  Besides  tlie 
duty  of  protecting  the  colony,  the  soldiers  seem  to 
act  as  overseers  of  the  work,  one  being  generally  in 
attendance  on  every  six  or  eight  hundred  ;  ana 
another,  who  may  be  looked  upon  as  commander 
in  chief,  takes  up  his  station  close  to  the  wall 
which  they  are  repairing,  and  frequently  repeats 
the  beating  which  I  just  mentioned,  which  is 
instantly  answered  by  a  loud  hiss  from  all  the 
labourers  within  the  dome, — those  at  work  labour- 
ing with  redoubled  energy." 

'•  But,  Uncle  Thomas,  what  can  be  the  use  ot 
such  animals  as  white  ants?  I  really  cannot  see 
what  use  they  are  for." 

"  Well,  John,  I  confess  I  do  not  much  wonder 
at  your  question,  though,  in  putting  it,  you  have 
forgotten  that  God  makes  ijiothing  in  vain.  Mr. 
Smeathman,  who  tells  us  so  much  about  these 
curious  animals,  has  answered  you  by  anticipation  ; 
and  his  answer  is  in  such  a  spirit  that  I  cannot  dc 
better  than  read  it  to  you, 
4 


50  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

"  It  may  appear  surprising  how  a  Being  perfectly 
good  should  have  created  animals  which  seem  to 
serve  no  other  end  but  to  spread  destruction  and 
desolation  wherever  they  go.  But  let  us  be 
cautious  in  suspecting  any  imperfection  in  the 
Father  of  the  Universe.  What  at  first  sight 
may  seem  only  productive  of  mischief,  will,  upon 
mature  deliberation,  be  found  worthy  of  that 
wisdom  which  planned  the  most  beautiful  parts  of 
the  world.  Many  poisons  are  valuable  medicines^ 
Storms  are  beneficial ;  and  diseases  often  promote 
life.  These  Termites  are  indeed  frequently  per- 
nicious to  mankind,  but  they  are  also  very  useful 
and  even  necessary.  One  valuable  purpose  which 
they  serve  is,  to  destroy  decayed  trees  and  other 
substances  which,  if  left  on  the  surface  of  the 
ground  in  hot  climates,  would  in  a  short  time 
pollute  the  air.  In  this  respect  they  resemble  very 
much  the  common  flies,  which  are  regarded  by 
mankind  in  general  as  noxious  and,  albeit,  as  use- 
less beings  in  creation.     But  this  is  certainly  for 


THE    WHITE    AXT.  51 

want  of  consideration.  There  are  not  probably  in 
all  nature  animals  of  more  importance,  and  it 
would  not  be  difficult  to  prove  that  we  should  feel 
the  want  of  one  or  two  large  quadrupeds  much 
less  than  of  one  or  two  species  of  these  despicable- 
looking  insects.  Mankind  in  general  are  sensible 
that  nothing  is  more  disagreeable  or  more  pes- 
tiferous than  putrid  substances :  and  it  is  apparent 
to  all  who  have  made  observation,  that  those  little 
insects  contribute  more  to  the  quick  dissolution  and 
dispersion  of  putrescent  matter  than  any  other. 
They  are  so  necessaiy  in  all  hot  climates,  that  ever 
in  the  open  fields  a  dead  animal  or  small  putrid 
substance  cannot  be  laid  upon  the  ground  two 
minutes  before  it  will  be  covered  with  flies  and 
their  maggots,  which,  instantly  entering,  quickly 
devour  one  part,  and  perforating  the  rest  in  various 
directions,  expose  the  whole  to  be  much  sooner  de- 
composed by  the  elements.  Thus  it  is  with  the 
Termites.  The  rapid  vegetation  in  hot  climates, 
of  which  no  idea  can  be  formed  by  any  thing  to  be 


52  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

seen  in  this,  is  equalled  by  as  great  a  degree  of 
destruction  from  natural  as  well  as  accidental 
causes.  It  seems  apparent  that  when  anything 
whatever  has  arrived  at  its  last  des^ree  of  perfection, 
the  Creator  has  decreed  that  it  shall  be  wholly 
destroyed  as  soon  as  possible,  that  the  face  of 
nature  may  be  speedily  adorned  with  fresh  pro- 
ductions in  the  bloom  of  spring,  or  the  pride  of 
sumiTier ;  so  when  trees  and  even  woods  are  in 
part  destroyed  by  tornadoes  or  fire,  it  is  wonderful 
to  observe  how  many  agents  are  employed  in 
hastening  the  total  dissolution  of  the  rest.  But  in 
hot  climates  there  are  none  so  expert,  or  who  do 
their  business  so  expeditiously  and  effectuall^^j  as 
these  insects,  which  in  a  few  weeks  destroy  and 
carry  away  the  bodies  of  large  trees,  without 
leaving  a  particle  behind ;  thus  clearing  the  place 
for  other  vegetables  which  soon  fill  up  every  va- 
cancy :  and  in  places  where  two  or  three  years 
before  there  has  been  a  populous  town,  if  the  in- 
habitants, as  is  frequently  the  case,  have  chosen  to 


THE    WHITE    AXT.  53 

abandon  it,  there  shall  be  a  very  thick  woodj  and 
not  a  vestige  of  a  post  to  be  seen,  unless  the  wood 
iias  been  of  a  species  which  from  its  hardness  is 
called  iron  wood." 

•'Thank  you,  Uncle  Thomas.  I  see,  I  was 
quite  wrong  in  supposing  that  the  ants  are  of  no 
use.  I  really  did  not  imagine  that  they  could  have 
been  so  serviceable." 


CHAPTER   III. 

Uncle  Thomas  describes  the  Manner  in  -which  Wild  Elephants 
are  caught,  and  relates  some  Curious  Stories  of  the  Cunning, 
Affection,  and  Intelligence  of  the  Elephant. 

"  Well,  Boys,  you  are  once  more  welcome  ! — I 
am  going  to  tell  you  some  stories  about  the  Ele- 
phant to-night,  which  I  hope  will  interest  you  quite 
as  much  as  those  which  I  told  you  about  the  dog. 
Next  to  the  dog  the  elephant  is  one  of  the  most 
intelligent  animals  ;  some  of  his  actions,  indeed, 
seem  to  be  rather  the  result  of  reason  than  mere 
instinct.  But  I  must  first  tell  you  about  the  animal 
in  its  native  forests. 

"  In  the  luxuriant  forests  with  vrhich  a  large 
portion  of  Asia  is  covered,  this  huge  animal  reigns 
supreme.  Its  size  and  strength  easily  enable  it  to 
overcome    the   most   formidable   opponents.      The 


ELEPHANT    HUNTING.  55 

intelligence  with  which  it  has  been  endov/ed  by  its 
Creator  would  make  it  a  most  formidable  enemy  to 
man,  but  that  the  same  All-wise  Being  has  gra- 
ciously endowed  it  with  peaceful  and  gentle  feel- 
ings. In  its  native  forests  it  roanis  about  without 
seeking  to  molest  any  one,  and  even  when  caught 
and  tamed  it  very  soon  becomes  gentle  and  obe- 
dient. 

''  In  the  East  Indies  the  elephant  is  in  very 
general  use  as  a  beast  of  burden.  For  this  purpose 
it  is  hunted  and  caught  in  great  numbers  by  the 
Natives,  who  employ  some  very  mgenious  devices 
to  deceive  them,  and  to  drive  them  into  the  am- 
buscades which  they  form  for  them.  The  manner 
in  which  vdiole  herds  are  captured  is  as  follows  : — 

'•  When  the  herd  is  discovered  by  parties  who 
are  sent  out  for  the  purpose  of  reconncitering,  they 
take  notice  of  the  direction  in  v\'hich  it  is  ranoriuj, 
and  as,  if  their  food  is  plentiful,  they  generally 
continue  to  advance  in  one  direction  for  miles 
together,  the   hunters  construct,  at  a  considerable 


56         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

distance  in  front,  a  series  of  enclosures,  into  wliich 
it  is  their  object  to  drive  them. 

"When  every  thing  is  prepared,  the  hunters, 
sometimes  to  the  number  of  several  hundreds, 
divide  themselves  into  small  parties,  and  form  a 
large  circle,  so  as  to  surround  the  herd.  Each 
party  generally  consists  of  three  men,  whose  duty 
it  is  to  light  a  fire  and  to  clear  a  footpath  betvreen 
their  station  and  that  of  their  neighbours,  so  that 
in  this  way  a  communication  is  kept  up  by  the 
whole  circle,  and  assistance  can  at  once  be  afforded 
at  any  given  point. 

"  New  circles  are  constantly  formed  at  short 
distances  in  advance,  so  as  gradually  to  drive  the 
animals  in  the  required  direction.  The  huntsrs 
are  all  the  while  concealed  by  the  luxuriant  jungle, 
and.  do  not  show  themselves  to  the  elephants  at 
all,  but  urge  them  forw^ard  by  the  use  of  drums, 
rattles,  (fee.  (fee,  "from  the  noise  of  which  the  animal? 
seek  to  escape,  and  thus  wander  on,  feeding  as  they 
proceed  toward  the  toils  which  are  prepared  for  them. 


ELEPHANT    HUNTING.  57 

^'  The  keddah.  or  trap,  as  it  may  be  calltd.  con- 
sists of  three  enclosures,  each  foniied  of  strong- 
Stockades  on  the  outside  of  deep  ditches  ;  the  inner- 
most one  being  the  strongest,  because  by  the  time 
they  arrive  in  it,  the  elephants  are  generally  in  a 
state  of  great  excitement,  and  would  soon  break- 
down a  fragile  enclosure,  and  make  their  escape. 

"  As  soon  as  the  herd  has  entered  the  first  en- 
closure, strong  barricades  are  erected  across  the 
entrance  ;  and  as  there  is  no  ditch  at  tliis  point, 
the  hunters  take  advantage  of  the  remarkable  dread 
which  the  animal  has  of  fire,  to  scare  them  from 
this  most  vulnerable  part  of  the  fortification.  Fires 
are  gradually  lit  all  round  the  first  enclosure,  so 
that  the  only  way  of  escape  which  is  left  is  by  the 
entrance  to  the  second. 

''At  first,  as  if  profiting  by  their  former  expe- 
rience, they  generally  shun  the  entrance  to  the 
second  of  the  series,  but  at  last,  seeinof  no  other 
chance  of  escape,  the  leader  of  the  herd  ventuies 
forward,  and  the  rest  follow.     The  gate  is  instantly 


68  STORIES    A.BOUT    INSTINCT. 

shit,  and  they  are  in  the  same  manner  driven  into 
the  third  enclosure.  Finding  no  outlet  from  this 
they  become  desperate,  scream  with  tremendous 
power,  and  seek  to  escape  by  violently  attacking 
the  sides  of  the  stockade.  At  all  points,  however, 
they  are  repulsed  by  lighted  fires,  and  the  tu- 
multuous and  exulting  shouts  of  the  triumphant 
hunters. 

"  In  this  place  of  confinement  they  remain  for 
several  days.  When  their  excitement  has  some- 
what subsided;  they  are  enticed  one  by  one  to  enter 
a  narrow  passage  leading  to  the  second  enclosure. 
As  soon  as  one  enters  in,  the  entrance  is  closed, 
and  as  the  passage  is  so  narrow  that  it  cannot  turn 
round,  it  soon  fatigues  itself  by  unavailing  exertions 
to  beat  down  the  barrier.  Strong  ropes  vrith  run- 
ning nooses  are  now  laid  down,  and  no  sooner 
does  the  animal  put  his  foot  within  one  of  them, 
than  the  rope  is  drawn  tight  by  some  of  the  hunters 
who  are  stationed  on  a  small  scaffold  which  has 
been  raised  over  the  gateway.     In  the  same  man- 


ELEPHANT    HUNTING.  59 

ner  his  other  feet  are  secured.  When  this  has  been 
effected,  some  of  the  hunters  venture  to  approach, 
and  tie  his  hind  les^s  tosfether.  Havino:  thus  se- 
cured  liim,  they  can  with  comparative  safety  com- 
plete their  capture.  When  he  is  completely  secured 
he  is  placed  between  two  tame  elephants,  and  led 
away  to  the  forest  and  fastened  to  a  tree  :  and  the 
same  operation  is  repeated,  till  the  whole  herd  has 
been  secured.  At  first  the  rage  of  the  captive  is 
extreme  ;  so  long  as  the  animals  between  which 
ne  is  led  away  prisoner  remain  with  him  he  is 
comparatively  quiet,  but  when  he  sees  them  depart, 
he  is  agitated  with  all  the  horrors  of  despair,  and 
makes  the  most  extravagant  attempts  to  regain  his 
liberty.  For  some  time  he  refuses  to  eat,  but 
gradually  becomes  resigned,  and  feeds  freely. 

"  A  keeper  is  appointed  to  each  animal,  as  they 
are  secured.  His  first  object  is  to  gain  its  confi- 
dence ;  supplying  it  regularly  with  food,  pouring 
water  over  its  body  to  keep  it  cool,  and  gradually 
accustoming  it  to  caresses.     In  the  course  of  five  or 


60  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

six  weeks  he  generally  obtains  a  c-omplete  ascen- 
dency  over  it ;  its  fetters  are  removed  by  degrees, 
it  knows  his  voice  and  obeys  hinij  and  is  then 
gradually  initiated  into  the  objects  of  its  future 
labours." 

'•  Thank  you,  Uncle  Thomas.  I  now  under- 
stand all  about  elephant-hunting.  I  could  not 
think  how  the  hunters  manawd  to  secure  such  a 

o 

huge  animal.  It  seems  to  be  no  such  difficult  task 
after  all." 

"  It  seems  easy  enough  from  description,  Frank  J 
but  it  sometimes  happens  that  they  break  loose, 
and,  irritated  by  their  efforts  to  escape,  they  range 
about  in  the  most  furious  manner,  and  as  they  are 
very  cunning  animals,  it  requires  all  the  circum- 
spection of  the  hunter  to  counteract  their  schemes. 
I  recollect  a  story  which  displays  this  quality  in  a 
very  strong  light. 

"  During  the  seige  of  Bhurtpore,  in  the  year 
1805,  when  the  British  army,  with  its  countless 
host  of  followers  and  attendants,  and  thousands  of 


CTTNNING    OP    THE    ELEPHANT.  Gl 

cattle,  had  been  for  a  long  time  before  the  city,  the 
approach  of  the  warm  season  and  of  the  dry  hot 
wmds  caused  the  quantity  of  water  in  the  neigh 
bourhood  of  the  camps  to  begin  to  fail ;  the  ponds 
or  tanks  had  dried  up,  and  no  more  water  was  left 
than  the  immense  wells  of  the  country  could  fur- 
nish. The  multitude  of  men  and  cattle  that  were 
unceasingly  at  the  wells,  occasioned  no  little 
struggle  for  priority  in  procuring  the  supply,  and 
the  consequent  confusion  on  the  spot  was  fre- 
quently very  considerable.  On  one  occasion,  two 
elephant-drivers,  each  with  his  elephant,  the  one 
remarkably  large  and  strong,  and  the  other  com- 
paratively siTiall  and  weak,  were  at  the  well 
together  ;  the  small  elephant  had  been  provided  by 
his  master  with  a  bucket  for  the  occasion,  which  he 
carried  at  the  end  of  his  proboscis  ;  but  the  larger 
animal  being  destitute  of  this  necessary  vessel, 
either  spontaneously,  or  by  desire  of  his  keeper, 
seized  the  bucket,  and  easily  Avrested  it  away  from 
his  less  powerful  fellow-servant.     The  latter  was 


62         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

too  sensible  of  his  inferiority  openly  to  resist  the 
insultj  though  it  is  obvious  that  he  felt  it ;  and  great 
squabbling  and  abuse  ensued  between  the  keepers. 

''At  length;  the  weaker  animal;  watching  the 
opportunity  when  the  other  was  standing  with  his 
side  to  the  well,  retired  backwards  a  few  paces,  in 
a  very  quiet  unsuspicious  manner,  and  then  rush- 
ing forward  with  all  his  might,  drove  his  head 
against  the  side  of  the  other,  and  fairly  pushed  him 
into  the  well.  It  may  easily  be  imagined  that  great 
inconvenience  was  immediately  experienced,  and 
serious  apprehensions  quickly  followed,  that  the 
water  in  the  well,  on  which  the  existence  of  so 
many  seemed  in  a  great  measure  to  depend,  would 
be  spoiled  by  the  unwieldy  brute  vvdiich  was 
precipitated  into  it ;  and  as  the  surface  of  the  water 
was  nearly  twenty  feet  belovsr  the  common  level^ 
there  did  not  appear  to  be  any  means  that  could  be 
adopted  to  get  the  animal  out  by  main  force,  with- 
out the  risk  of  injuring  him.  There  were  many 
feet  of  water  below  the  elephant,  who  floated  with 


DOCILITY    OF    THE    ELEPHANT.  63 

ease  on  its  surface,  and,  experiencing  considerable 
pleasure  from  his  cool  retreat,  he  evinced  but  little 
inclination  even  to  exert  what  means  of  escape  he 
might  himself  possess. 

"  A  vast  number  of  fascines  (bundles  of  wood) 
had  been  employed  by  the  army  in  conducting  the 
siege  :  and  at  length  it  occurred  to  the  elephant- 
keeper,  that  a  sufficient  number  of  these  might  be 
lowered  into  the  well,  on  which  the  animal  might 
be  raised  to  the  top,  if  it  could  be  instructed  as  to 
the  necessaiy  means  of  laying  them  in  regular  suc- 
cession under  its  feet.  Permission  having  accord- 
ingly been  obtained  from  the  engineers  to  use  the 
fascines,  the  keeper  had  to  teach  the  elephant  the 
lesson,  which,  by  means  of  that  extraordinary 
ascendency  these  men  attain  ov€r  their  charge^ 
joined  with  the  intellectual  resources  of  tlije  animal 
itself,  he  was  isoon  enabled  to  do  ;  and  the  elephant 
began  quickly  to  place  each  fascine,  as  it  ^x'dis 
lowered,  successively  under  him,  untiL  in  a  little 
dme^  he  was  enabled  to  stand  upon  them.     By  this 


64  STORIES  AEOLT  INSTINCT. 

time,  however,  the  cunning  brute,  enjoying  the 
pleasure  of  his  situation,  after  the  heat  and  partial 
privation  of  water  to  which  he  had  been  lately 
exposed,  was  unwilling  to  work  any  longer;  and 
all  the  threats  of  his  keeper  could  not  induce  him 
to  place  another  fascine.  The  man  then  opposed 
cunninof  to  cunning,  and  began  to  caress  and  praise 
the  elephant ;  and  what  he  could  not  effect  by 
threats  he  was  enabled  to  do  by  the  repeated  pro- 
mise of  plenty  of  arrack,  a  spirituous  beverage 
composed  of  rum,  of  which  the  elephant  is  very 
fond.  Incited  by  this,  the  animal  again  set  to 
w^ork,  raised  himself  considerably  higher,  until, 
by  a  partial  removal  of  the  masonry  round  the  top 
of  the  well,  he  was  enabled  to  step  out,  after  having 
been  in  the  water  about  fourteen  hours." 

"  That  was  very  cunning,  Uncle  Thomas.  The 
keepers  seem  to  attain  great  ascendency  over  the 
animals.^' 

"  The  attachment  of  the  elephant  to  its  keepei, 
and  the  command  which  some  of  these  men  acquire 


DOCILITY    OP    THE    ELEPHANT.  65 

over  the  objects  of  their  care  by  appealing  to  their 
affections  is  very  extraordinaiy.  The  mere  sound 
of  the  keeper's  voice  has  been  known  to  reclaim 
an  animal  which  escaped  from  domestication  and 
resumed  its  original  freedom : — 

"  A  female  elephant,  belonging  to  a  gentleman  in 
Calcutta,  who  was  ordered  from  the  upper  country 
to  Chittagong.  in  the  route  thither,  broke  loose  from 
her  keeper,  and,  making  her  way  to  the  woods,  was 
lost.  The  keeper  made  every  excuse  to  vindicate 
himself,  which  the  master  of  the  animal  would  not 
listen  to,  but  branded  the  man  with  dishonesty  :  for 
it  was  instantly  supposed  that  he  had  sold  the 
elephant.  He  was  tried  for  it,  and  condemned  to 
work  on  the  roads  for  life,  and  his  wife  and  children 
sold  for  slaves. 

"  About  twelve  years  afterwards,  this  man,  who 
was  known  to  be  well  acquainted  with  breakin;? 
elephants,  w^as  sent  into  the  country  with  a  party  to 
assist  in  catching  wild  ones.  They  came  upon  a 
nerdj  amongst  which  the  man  fancied  he  saw  the 


66  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

long-lost  elephant  for  which  he  had  been  con- 
demned. He  resolved  to  approach  it,  nor  could 
the  strongest  remonstrances  of  the  party  dissuade 
him  from  the  attempt.  As  he  approached  the 
animal,  he  called  her  by  name,  when  she  imme- 
diately recognised  his  voice ;  she  waved  her  trunk 
in  the  air  as  a  token  of  salutation,  and  kneeling 
down,  allowed  him  to  maOunt  her  neck.  She  after- 
wards assisted  in  taking  other  elephants,  and  de- 
coyed three  young  ones,  to  which  she  had  given 
birth  since  her  escape.  The  keeper  returned 
to  his  master,  and  the  singular  circumstances  at- 
tending the  recovery  of  the  elephant  being  told, 
he  regained  his  character  ;  and,  as  a  recompense 
for  his  unmerited  sufferings,  had  a  pension  settled 
on  him  for  life." 

"  That  was  an  instance  of  rare  good  fortune, 
Uncle  Thomas.  How  very  curious  that  he  should 
fall  in  with  the  herd  in  which  his  own  elephant 


was ! 


P' 


''  It  was  very  fortunate  indeed,  Frank.     It  was 


DOCILITY    OF    THE    ELEPHANT.  07 

not  a  little  curious  too  that  the  elephant  should 
recognise  him  after  so  long  a  period.  But  the 
attachment  which  they  show  to  their  keepers  is 
sometimes  very  great.  One  which  in  a  moment  of 
rage  killed  its  keeper  a  few  years  ago,  adopted  his 
son  as  its  carnac  or  driver,  and  would  allow  no  ona 
else  to  assume  his  place.  The  wife  of  the  unfortu- 
nate man  was  witness  to  the  dreadful  scene,  and,  in 
the  frenzy  of  her  mental  agony,  took  her  two 
children,  and  threw  them  at  the  feet  of  the  elephant, 
saying,  '  As  you  have  slain  my  husband,  take  my 
life  also,  as  well  as  that  of  my  children  !'  The 
elephant  became  calm,  seemed  to  relent,  and  as  if 
stung  with  remorse,  took  up  the  eldest  boy  with  its 
trunk,  placed  him  on  its  neck,  adopted  him  for  its 
carnac,  and  never  afterwards  allowed  another  to 
occupy  that  seat." 

"That  was  at  least  making  all  the  reparation  m 
its  power,  Uncle  Thomas." 

"  There  is  one  or  two  other  stories  about  the 
elephant,    showing    that    he    knows    how   to    re- 


68  STORIES  ABOUT  IXSTIXCT. 

venge   an    insult,  which   I    must    tell   you   before 
you  go. 

"  A  merchant  at  Bencoolen  kept  a  tame  elephant^ 
which  was  so  exceedingly  gentle  in  his  habits,  that 
he  was  permitted  to  go  at  large.  This  huge  animal 
used  to  walk  about  the  streets  in  the  most  quiet 
and  orderly  manner,  and  paid  many  visits  through 
the  city  to  people  who  were  kind  to  him.  Two 
cobblers  took  an  ill  will  to  this  inoffensive  creature, 
and  several  times  pricked  him  on  the  proboscis 
with  their  awls.  Tlie  noble  animal  did  not  chas- 
tise them  in  the  manner  he  might  have  done,  and 
seemed  to  think  they  were  too  contemptible  to  be 
angry  with  them.  But  he  took  other  means  to 
punish  them  for  their  cruelty.  He  filled  his  trunk 
with  water  of  a  dirty  quality,  and  advancing 
towards  them  in  his  ordinary  manner,  spouted  the 
whole  of  the  puddle  over  them.  The  punishment 
was  highly  applauded  by  those  who  witnessed  it, 
and  the  poor  cobblers  were  laughed  at  for  their 
pains." 


THE   ELEPHANT  AND  COBBLERS.     I'aire  (58. 


69 

"  Ha  !  ha  !  ha  !  He  must  have  been  a  very  know- 
ing animal,  Uncle  Thomas.  I  dare  say,  the 
cobblers  behaved  better  in  future." 

"  I  dare  say  they  would,  Boys.  Here  is  another 
story  of  the  same  description,  but  the  trickster  did 
not  escape  so  easily." 

^'  A  person  in  the  island  of  Ceylon,  who  lived 
near  a  place  where  elephants  were  daily  led  to 
water,  and  often  sat  at  the  door  of  his  house,  used 
occasionally  to  give  one  of  these  animals  some  fig 
leaves,  a  food  to  which  elephants  are  very  partial. 
Once  he  took  it  into  his  head  to  play  one  of  the 
elephants  a  trick.  He  wrapped  a  stone  round  with 
fig  leaves,  and  said  to  the  carnac,  '  This  time  I  v/ill 
give  him  a  stone  to  eat,  and  see  how  it  will  agree 
with  him.'  The  carnac  answered,  Hhat  th(i  ele 
phant  would  not  be  such  a  fool  as  to  swallow  a 
stone.'  The  man,  however,  reached  the  stone  to 
the  elephant,  who,  taking  it  with  his  trunk,  ii-'me 
diately  let  it  fall  to  the  ground.  '  You  see,'  s^id 
the  keeper,  '  that  I  was  right ;'  and  without  furthei 


70  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

wordsj  drove  away  his  elephants.  After  they  were 
watered,  he  was  conducting  them  again  to  their 
stable.  The  man  who  had  played  the  elephant  the 
trick  was  still  sitting  at  his  door,  when,  before  he 
was  aware,  the  animal  ran  at  him,  threw  his  trunk 
around  his  body,  and,  dashing  him  to  the  ground, 
trampled  him  immediately  to  death." 


CHAPTER   IV. 

Uncle  Thomas  introduces  to  the  Notice  of  the  Young  Folks  the 
Ettrick  Shepherd's  Stories  about  Sheep  ;  and  tells  them  some 
Interesting  Stories  about  the  Goat,  and  its  Peculiarities. 

<^  I  DARE  say,  Boys,  you  have  not  forgotten  the  Ettrick 
Shepherds  wonderful  stories  about  his  dogs.  Some 
of  those  which  he  relates  about  sheep  are  equally 
remarkable,  and  as  he  tells  them  in  the  same 
pleasing  style,  I  think  I  cannot  do  better  than  read 
to  you  the  chapter  in  ^  The  Shepherd's  Calendar' 
which  he  devotes  to  this  animal." 

"  Thank  you,  Uncle  Thomas.  We  remember 
very  well  his  stories  about  Sirrah  and  Hector  and 
Chieftain,  and  flie  old  Shepherd's  grief  at  parting 
with  his  dog." 

"  That's  right,  Boys  ;  I  am  pleased  to  think  tliat 
you  do  not  forget  what  I  tell  you.  But  listen  to 
the  Ettrick  Shepherd." 


72  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

'•'  The  sheep  has  scarcely  any  marked  character 
save  that  of  natural  affection,  of  which  it  possesses 
a  very  great  share.  It  is  otherwise  a  stupid  in- 
different animal,  hav'in^  few  wants,  and  fewer 
expedients.  The  old  black-faced,  or  forest  breed, 
have  far  more  powerful  capabilities  than  any  of  the 
finer  breeds  that  have  been  introduced  into  Scot- 
land, and,  therefore,  the  few  anecdotes  that  I  have 
to  relate  shall  be  confined  to  them. 

'•  So  strong  is  the  attachment  of  the  sheep  to  the 
place  where  they  have  been  bred,  that  I  have  heard 
of  their  returning  from  Yorkshire  to  the  Highlands. 
I  was  always  somewhat  inclined  to  suspect  that 
they  might  have  been  lost  by  the  way,  but  it  is 
certain,  however,  that  when  once  one  or  a  few 
sheep  get  away  from  the  rest  of  their  acquaintances, 
they  return  homeward  with  great  eagerness  and 
perseverance.  I  have  lived  beside  a  drove-road  the 
better  part  of  my  life,  and  many  stragglers  have 
I  seen  bending  their  steps  northward  in  the  spring 
of  the  year.     A  shepherd  rarely  sees  these  journey- 


LOVE    OF    HOME.  73 

ers  twice ;  if  he  sees  them,  and  stops  them  in  tlie 
morning,  tliey  are  gone  long  before  night ;  and  if 
he  sees  tliem  at  night,  they  will  be  gone  many 
miles  before  morning.  This  strong  attachment  to 
the  place  of  their  nativit}^  is  much  more  predomi- 
nant in  our  old  aboriginal  breed  than  in  any  of  the 
other  kinds  with  which  I  am  acquainted. 

^-  The  most  singular  instance  that  I  know  of,  to  be 
quite  well  authenticated,  is  that  of  a  black  ewe,  that 
returned  with  her  lamb  from  a  farm  in  the  head  of 
Glen-Lyon,  to  the  farm  of  Harehope,  in  Tweeddale, 
and  accomplished  the  journey  in  nine  da^^s.  She 
was  soon  missed  by  her  owner,  and  a  she]  herd  was 
despatched  in  pursuit  of  her,  who  followed  her  all 
the  way  to  Crieff,  where  he  turned,  and  gave  her 
up.  He  got  intelligence  of  her  all  the  way,  and 
ever)^  one  told  him  that  she  absolutely  persisted  in 
travelling  on, — she  would  not  be  turned,  regarding 
neither  sheep  nor  shepherd  by  the  way.  Her  Iamb 
was  often  far  behind,  and  she  had  constantly  to 
urge  it  on  by  impatient  bleating.     She  unluckily 


74  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

came  to  Stirling  on  the  morning  of  a  great  annual 
fair,  about  the  end  of  May,  and  judging  it  impru- 
dent to  venture  through  the  crowd  with  her  lamb, 
she  halted  on  the  north  side  of  the  town  the  whole 
day,  where  she  was  seen  by  hundreds,  lying  close 
by  the  road-side.  But  next  morning,  when  all 
became  quiet,  a  little  after  the  break  of  day,  she 
was  observed  stealing  quietly  through  the  town,  in 
apparent  terror  of  the  dogs  that  were  prow^ling 
about  the  street.  The  last  time  she  was  seen  on 
the  road  was  at  a  toll-bar  near  St.  Ninian's  ;  the 
man  stopped  her,  thinking  she  was  a  strayed  ani- 
mal, and  that  some  one  would  claim  her.  She 
tried  several  times  to  break  through  by  force  when 
he  opened  the  gate,  but  he  always  prevented  her, 
and  at  length  she  turned  patiently  back.  She  had 
found  some  means  of  eluding  him,  however,  for 
home  she  came  on  a  Sabbath  morning,  early  in 
June. ;  and  she  left  the  farm  of  Lochs,  in  Glen- 
Lyon,  either  on  the  Thursday  afternoon,  or  Friday 
morning,  a  week  and  two  days  before.     The  fanner 


NATURAL    AFFECTION.  75 

of  Harehope  paid  the  Highland  farmer  the  price  of 
her,  and  she  remained  on  her  native  farm  till  she 
died  of  old  age,  in  her  seventeenth  year. 

"  With  regard  to  the  natural  affection  of  this 
animal,  the  instances  that  might  be  mentioned  are 
without  number.  When  one  loses  its  sight  in  a 
flock  of  sheep,  it  is  rarely  abandoned  to  itself  in 
that  hapless  and  helpleorf  state.  Some  one  always 
attaches  itself  to  it,  and  by  bleating  calls  it  back 
from  the  precipice,  the  lake,  the  pool,  and  all 
dangers  whatever.  There  is  a  disease  among 
sheep,  called  by  shepherds  the  Breakshugh,  a 
deadly  sort  of  dysentery,  which  is  as  infectious  as 
fire,  in  a  flock.  Whenever  a  sheep  feels  itself 
seized  by  this,  it  instantly  withdraws  from  all  the 
rest,  shunning  their  society  with  the  greatest  care ; 
it  even  hides  itself,  and  is  often  very  hard  to  be 
found.  Though  this  propensity  can  hardly  be 
attributed  to  natural  instinct,  it  is,  at  all  events,  a 
provision  of  nature  of  the  greatest  kindness  and 
beneficence. 


76  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

"  Another  manifest  provision  of  nature  with 
regard  to  these  animals  is,  that  the  more  inhospi- 
table the  land  is  on  which  they  feed,  the  greater 
their  kindness  and  attention  to  their  young.  I 
once  herded  two  years  on  a  wild  and  bare  farm 
called  Willenslee,  on  the  border  of  Mid-Lothian, 
and  of  all  the  sheep  I  ever  saw,  these  were  the 
kindest  and  most  affectionate  to  their  lambs.  I  was 
often  deeply  affected  at  scenes  which  I  witnessed. 
We  had  one  very  hard  winter,  so  that  our  sheep 
grew  lean  in  the  spring,  and  the  thwarter-ill  (a  sort 
of  paralytic  affection)  came  among  them,  and 
carried  off  a  number.  Often  have  I  seen  these  poor 
victims,  when  fallen  down  to  rise  no  more,  even 
when  unable  to  lift  their  heads  from  the  ground, 
holding  up  the  leg,  to  invite  the  starving  lamb  to 
the  miserable  pittance  that  the  udder  still  could 
supply.  I  had  never  seen  aught  more  painfully 
affecting. 

"  It  is  well  known  that  it  is  a  custom  with  shep- 
herds, when   a  lamb   dies,  if  the   mother  have  a 


THE    SHEEP.  77 

suliiciency  of  milk,  to  bring  her  from  tlie  hill, 
and  put  another  lamb  to  her.  This  is  done  by 
putting  the  skin  of  the  dead  lamb  upon  the  living 
one ;  the  ewe  immediately  acknowledges  the  re- 
lationship, and  after  the  skin  has  warmed  on  it,  so 
as  to  give  it  something  of  the  smell  of  her  own 
progeny,  and  it  has  sucked  her  two  or  three  times, 
she  accepts  and  nourishes  it  as  her  own  ever  after. 
Whether  it  is  from  joy  at  this  apparent  reanimation 
of  lier  young  one,  or  because  a  little  doubt  remains 
on  her  mind  which  she  would  fain  dispel,  I  cannot 
decide ;  but,  for  a  number  of  days,  she  shows  far 
more  fondness,  by  bleating  and  caressing  over  this 
one,  than  she  did  formerly  over  the  one  that  was 
really  her  own.  But  this  is  not  what  I  wanted  to 
explain  ;  it  was,  that  such  sheep  as  thus  lose  their 
lambs  must  be  driven  to  a  house  with  dogs,  so  that 
the  lamb  may  be  put  to  them ;  for  they  will  only 
take  it  in  a  dark  confined  place.  But  at  Willenslee, 
I  ncTcr  needed  to  drive  home  a  sheep  by  force, 
vdth  dogs,  or  in  any  other  way  than  the  following : 


78  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

I  found  ever3r  ewe,  of  course,  standing  hanging  her 
head  over  her  dead  lamb ;  and  having  a  piece  of 
twine  with  me  for  the  purpose,  I  tied  that  to  the 
lamb's  neck  or  foot,  and  trailing  it  along,  the  ewo 
followed  me  into  any  house  or  fold  that  I  choose  to 
lead  her.  Any  of  them  would  have  followed  me  in 
that  way  for  miles,  with  her  nose  close  on  the  lamb, 
which  she  never  quitted  for  a  moment,  except  to 
chase  my  dog,  which  she  would  not  suffer  to  walk 
near  me.  I  often,  out  of  curiosity,  led  them  in  to 
the  side  of  the  kitchen  fire  by  this  means,  into  the 
midst  of  servants  and  dogs  ;  but  the  more  that 
dangers  multiplied  around  the  ewe,  she  clung  the 
closer  to  her  dead  offspring,  and  thought  of  nothing 
whatever  but  protecting  it.  One  of  the  two  years, 
while  I  remained  on  this  farm,  a  severe  blast  of 
snow  came  on  by  night,  about  the  latter  end  of 
April,  which  destroyed  several  scores  of  our  lambs ; 
and  as  we  had  not  enow  of  twins  and  odd  lambs  for 
the  mothers  that  had  lost  theirs,  of  course  we  se- 
lected the  best  ewes,  and  put  lambs  to  them.     As 


THE    FAITHFUL    MOTHER.  79 

we  were  making  the  distribution,  I  requested  of  my 
master  to  spare  me  a  lamb  for  a  hawked  ewe  which 
he  knew,  and  which  was  standing  over  a  dead  lamb 
in  the  head  of  the  Hope,  about  four  miles  from  the 
house.  He  would  not  do  it,  but  bid  me  let  her 
stand  over  her  lamb  for  a  day  or  two,  and  perhaps  a 
twin  would  be  forthcoming.  I  did  so,  and  faith- 
fully she  did  stand  to  her  charge  ;  so  faithfully, 
that  I  think  the  like  never  was  equalled  by  any  of 
tlie  woolly  race.  I  visited  her  every  morninof  and 
evenmg;  and  for  the  first  eight  days  never  found 
her  above  two  or  three  yards  from  the  lamb  ;  and 
always,  as  I  went  my  rounds,  she  eyed  me  long  ere 
I  came  near  her,  and  kept  tramping  with  her  feet, 
and  whistling  through  her  nose,  to  frighten  away 
the  dog  :  he  got  a  regular  chase  twice  a  day  as  I 
passed  by :  but,  however  excited  and  fierce  a  ewe 
may  be.  she  never  offers  any  resistance  to  mankind, 
being  perfectly  and  meekly  passive  to  them.  The 
weatlier  grew  fine  and  warm,  and  the  dead  lamb 
Boon  decayed,  which  the  body  of  a  dead  lamb  does 


80  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

particularly  soon:  but  still  this  affectionate  and 
desolate  creature  kept  hanging  over  the  poor  re- 
mains with  an  attachment  that  seemed  to  be  nour- 
ished by  hopelessness.  It  often  drew  the  tears 
from  my  eyes  to  see  her  hanging  with  such  fond- 
ness over  a  few  bones,  mixed  with  a  small  portion 
of  wool.  For  the  first  fortnight  she  never  quitted 
the  spotj  and  for  another  week  she  visited  it  every 
morning  and  evening,  uttering  a  few  kindly  and 
heart-piercing  bleats  each  time  ;  till  at  length  every 
remnant  of  her  offspring  vanished,  mixing  with  the 
soil,  or  wafted  away  by  the  winds." 

"  Poor  creature  !  Uncle  Thomas,  that  was  very 
affecting." 

"  So  much  for  the  Ettrick  Shepherd.  I  will  now 
tell  you  a  story  about  a  remarkable  instance 
of  sagacity  in  a  sheep,  of  which  I  myself  was  an 
eye-witness. 

"  One  evening,  as  I  was  enjoying  a  walk  through 
some  verdant  pastures,  which  were  plentifully 
dotted  with  sheep,  my  attention  was  attracted  by 


THE    RESCUED    LAMB.  81 

the  motions  of  one  which  repeatedly  came  clc  se  up 
to  mCj  bleating  in  a  piteous  manner,  and  after  look- 
ing expressively  in  my  face,  ran  off  towards  a  brook 
which  meandered  through  the  midst  of  the  pastures, 
At  first  I  took  little  notice  of  the  creature,  but  as 
her  entreaties  became  importunate,  I  followed  her. 
Delighted  at  having  at  length  attracted  my  notice, 
she  ran  with  all  her  speed,  frequently  looking  back. 
When  I  reached  the  spot,  I  discovered  the  cause  of 
all  her  anxiety  ;  her  lamb  had  unfortunately  fallen 
into  the  brook,  whose  steep  banks  prevented  it  from 
making  its  escape.  Fortunately  the  water,  though 
up  to  the  little  creature's  back,  was  not  sufficient  to 
drown  it.  I  rescued  it  with  much  pleasure,  and  to 
the  great  gratification  of  its  affectionate  mother, 
who  licked  it  with  her  tongue  to  dry  it,  now  and 
then  skipping  about,  and  giving  vent  to  her  joy  and 
gratitude  in  most  expressive  gambols. 

"  Though  differing   in  many  respects  from  tlie 
sheep,  the   goat  bears  so   strong  a  resemblance  to 
that  animal;  that,  now  that  I  am  speaking  of  it,  I 
o 


82  STORIES  ABOUT  INsTlXCT. 

may  as  well  tell  you  a  story  or  two  about  the  goat. 
It  will  save  my  returning  to  it  afterwards." 

"  Yery  well.  Uncle  Thomas." 

"  The  goat  is  in  every  respect  more  fitted  for  a 
life  of  savage  liberty  than  the  sheep.  It  is  of  a 
more  lively  disposition,  and  is  possessed  of  a  greater 
degree  of  instinct.  It  readily  attaches  itself  to  man, 
and  seems  sensible  of  his  caresses.  It  delights  in 
climbing  precipices,  and  going  to  the  very  edge  of 
danger,  and  it  is  often  seen  suspended  upon  an 
eminence  overhanging  the  sea,  upon  a  very  little 
base,  and  sometimes  even  sleeps  there  in  security. 
Nature  has  in  some  measure  fitted  it  for  traversing 
these  declivities  with  ease ;  the  hoof  is  hollow 
underneath,  with  sharp  edges,  so  that  it  walks  as 
securely  on  the  ridge  of  a  house  as  on  the  level 
gr.)und. 

•■'  When  once  reduced  to  a  state  of  domestication, 
the  goat  seldom  resumes  its  original  wildness.  A 
good  many  years  ago,  an  English  vessel  happening 
to  touch  at  the  island  of  Bonavista,  two  negroes 


THE  ARAB  AND  HIS  GOAT.  83 

came  and  offered  the  sailors  as  many  goats  as  tbey 
chose  to  take  away.  Upon  the  captain  expressing 
his  surprise  at  this  offer,  the  negroes  assured  him 
that  there  were  but  twelve  persons  on  the  island, 
and  that  the  goats  had  multiplied  in  such  a  manner 
as  even  to  become  a  nuisance  :  they  added,  that  for 
from  giving  any  trouble  to  capture  them,  they  fol- 
lowed the  few  inhabitants  that  were  left  with  a  sort 
of  obstinacy,  and  became  even  troublesome  by  their 
tameness.  The  celebrated  traveller  Dr.  Clarke 
gives  a  very  curious  account  of  a  goat,  which  was 
trained  to  exhibit  various  amusing  feats  of  dex 
terity. 

^'  We  met,  (says  he.)  an  Arab  vv'itli  a  goat  which 
he  led  about  the  country  to  exhibit,  in  order  to  o;ain 
a  livelihood  for  itself  and  its  owner.  He  had  taught 
this  animal,  while  he  accompanied  its  movements 
with  a  song,  to  mount  upon  little  cylindrical  blocks 
of  wood,  placed  successively  one  above  another, 
and  in  shape  resemxbling  the  dice-box  belonging  to 
a  backorammon    table.      In   this    manner  the    oroat 


84  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

Stood,  first,  on  the  top  of  two  ;  afterwards,  of  three, 
four,  five,  and  six,  until  it  remained  balanced  upon 
the  summit  of  them  all,  elevated  several  feet  above 
the  ground,  and  with  its  four  feet  collected  upon  a 
single  point,  without  throwing  down  the  disjointed 
fabric  on  Vv^hich  it  stood.  The  diameter  of  the 
upper  cylinder,  on  which  its  four  feet  alternately 
remained  until  the  Arab  had  ended  his  ditty,  was 
only  two  inches,  and  the  length  of  each  six  inches. 
The  most  curious  part  of  the  performance  occurred 
afterwards  ;  for  the  Arab,  to  convince  us  of  the 
animal's  attention  to  the  turn  of  the  air,  interrupted 
the  Da  Capo ;  and^  as  often  as  he  did  this,  the 
goat  tottered,  appeared  uneasy,  and,  upon  his 
becoming  suddenly  silent^  in  the  middle  of  his  song, 
it  fell  to  the  ground. 

"Like  the  sheep^  the  goat  possesses  great  na- 
tural affection  for  its  young.  In  its  defence  it 
boldly  repels  the  attacks  -of  the  most  formidable 
opponents.  I  remember  a  little  story  which  finely 
illustrates  tliis  instinctive  courage. 


THE   AliAIi  AND   HIS  GOAT.    Pajje  84. 


THE    GOAT.  85 

"  A  person  having  missed  one  of  his  goats  when 
his  flock  was  taken  home  at  night,  being  afraid  the 
wanderer  would  get  among  the  young  trees  in  his 
nursery,  two  boys,  wrapped  in  their  plaids,  were 
ordered  to  watch  all  night.  The  morning  liad  but 
faintly  dawned,  when  they  set  out  in  search  of  her. 
They  at  length  discovered  her  on  a  pointed  rock  at 
a  considerable  distance,  and  hastening  to  the  spot 
perceived  her  standing  watching  her  kid  with  the 
greatest  anxiety,  and  defending  it  from  a  fox.  The 
enemy  turned  round  and  round  to  lay  hold  of  his 
prey,  but  the  goat  presented  her  horns  in  every 
direction.  The  youngest  boy  was  despatched  for 
assistance  to  attack  the  fox,  and  the  eldest,  hallooing 
and  tlu'owing  up  stones,  sought  to  intimidate  it  as  he 
climbed  to  rescue  his  charge.  The  fox  seemed  well 
aware  that  the  child  could  not  execute  liis  threats  ; 
he  looked  at  him  one  instant,  and  then  renewed  the 
assault,  till,  quite  impatient,  he  made  a  sudden 
effort  to  seize  the  kid.  The  whole  three  suddenly 
disappeared,  and  were  found  at  the  bottom  of  the 


86  STORIES  ABOUT  INBTIXCT. 

precipice.  The  goat's  horns  were  darted  mto  the 
back  of  the  fox ;  the  kid  lay  stretched  beside  her. 
It  is  supposed  that  the  fox  had  fixed  his  teeth  in  the 
kidj  for  its  neck  was  lacerated  ;  but  that  v/hen  the 
faithful  mother  inflicted  a  death  wound  upon  her 
mortal  enemy  he  probably  staggered,  and  brought 
his  victims  with  him  over  the  rock. 

"  There  is  another  story  of  the  goat,  which 
places  its  gratitude  and  affection  in  such  an  interest- 
ing light,  that  I  am  sure  it  will  delight  you  : — 

'•  After  the  final  suppression  of  the  Scottish 
Rebellion  of  1715,  by  the  decisive  Battle  of  Preston, 
a  gentleman  who  had  taken  a  very  active  share  in 
it  escaped  to  the  West  Highlands  to  the  residence 
of  a  female  relative,  who  afforded  him  an  asylum. 
As  in  consequence  of  the  strict  search  which  was 
made  after  the  ringleaders,  it  was  soon  judged 
unsafe  for  him  to  remain  in  the  house  of  his  friend, 
he  was  conducted  to  a  cavern  in  a  sequestered 
situation,  and  furnished  with  a  supply  of  food. 
The  approach  to  this  lonely  abode  consisted  of  a 


THE    GRATEFUL   GOAT.  S7 

small  aperture,  throiigli  which  he  crept,  dragg-uig 
his  provisions  along  with  him.  A  little  way  from 
the  mouth  of  the  cave  the  roof  became  elevated,  but 
on  advancing,  an  obstacle  obstructed  his  progress. 
He  soon  percci\'^d  that,  whatever  it  might  be,  tire 
object  was  a  living  one,  but  unwilling  to  strike  at  a 
venture  with  liis  dirk,  he  stooped  down,  and  dis- 
*  covered  a  goat  and  her  kid  lying  on  the  ground. 
Tlie  animal  was  evidently  in  great  pain,  and  feel- 
ing her  body  and  limbs,  he  ascertained  that  one  of 
rier  legs  had  been  fractured.  He  bound  it  up  with 
his  garter,  and  offered  her  some  of  his  bread  ;  but 
she  refused  to  eat,  and  stretched  out  her  tongue,  as 
if  intimating  that  her  nwuth  was  parched  with 
thirst-  He  gave  her  water,  which  she  drank 
greedily,  and  then  sh<^  ate  the  bread.  At  midnigiit 
he  ventured  from  the  cave,  pulled  a  quantity  of 
grass  and  the  tender  branches  of  trees,  and  carried 
them  to  the  poor  suflerer,  which  received  them  with 
demonstrations  of  gratitude. 

^  Tlie   only  thijig    which    tJiis   fugitive   had    to 


88  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

arrest  his  attention  in  his  dreary  abode,  was  admin- 
isterino^  comfort  to  the  goat ;  and  he  was  indeed 
thankful  to  have  any  living  creature  beside  him. 
It  quickly  recovered^  and  became  tenderly  attached 
to  him.  It  happened  that  the  servant  who  was 
intrusted  with  the  secret  of  his  retreat  fell  sick, 
when  it  became  necessary  to  send  another  with 
provisions.  The  goat;  on  this  occasion,  happening «■ 
to  be  lying  near  the  mouth  of  the  cavern,  opposed 
his  entrance  with  all  her  might,  butting  him 
furiously  ;  the  fugitive,  hearing  a  disturbance,  went 
forward,  and  receiving  the  watchword  from  his  new 
attendant,  interposed,  and  the  faithful  goat  perixdtted 
liim  to  pass.  So  resolute  was  the  animal  on  this 
occasion,  that  the  gentleman  vfas  convinced  she 
would  have  died  in  his  defence." 


CHAPTER   V. 

Uncle  Thomas  relates  some  Very  Remarkable  Stories  about  the 
Cat  ;  points  out  to  the  Boys  the  Connexion  subsisting 
between  the  Domestic  Cat  and  the  Lion,  Tiger,  &c.,  and 
tells  them  some  Stories  about  the  Gentleness,  as  well  as  the 
Ferocity  of  these  Animals. 

"  Though  far  from  being  so  general  a  favourite  as 
the  dog,  the  domestic  cat  has  many  qualities  to 
recommend  it  to  attention  and  regard,  and  some 
of  the  stories  which  I  am  going  to  tell  you  exhibit 
instances  of  instinctive  attachment  and  2:entleness 
which  cannot  be  surpassed. 

"Here  is  one  of  attachment,  which  will  match 
with  the  best  of  those  of  the  dog. 

"A  cat  which  had  been  brought  up  in  a  family 
became  extremely  attached  to  the  eldest  child,  a 
little  boy,  who  was  very  fond  of  playing  with 
her.     She  bore  with  the  most  exemplary  patience 


90         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

any  maltreatment   which   she  received  from  him 

^which  even   good-natured   children  seldom  fail, 

occasionally,  to  give  to  animals  in  their  sports 
with  them— without  ever  making  any  attempt  at 
resistance.  As  the  cat  gi^ew  up,  liOAvever,  she 
daily  quitted  her  playfellow  for  a  time,  from  -.vhom 
she  had  formerly  been  inseparable,  in  order  to 
follow  her  natural  propensity  to  catch  mice ; 
but  even  when  engaged  in  this  employment, 
she  did  not  forget  her  friend  ;  for,  as  soon  as 
she  had  caught  a  mouse,  she  brought  it  alive 
to  him.  If  he  showed  an  inclination  to  take 
her  prey  from  her,  she  anticipated  him,  by  letting 
it  ran,  and  waited  to  see  whether  he  was  able  to 
catch  it.  If  he  did  not,  the  cat  darted  at,  seized 
it,  and  laid  it  again  before  him  ;  and  in  this  manner 
the  sport  continued  as  long  as  the  child  showed 
any  inclination  for  the  amusement. 

"  At  length  the  boy  was  attacked  by  small- 
pox, and,  during  the  early  stages  of  his  disorder, 
the   cat   never   quitted   his    bed-side  ;    but,  as   his 


FELINE    AFFECTION.  91 

danger  increased,  it  was  found  necessary  to  remove 
the  cat  and  lock  it  up.  The  child  died.  On 
the  following  day,  the  cat  having  escaped  from 
her  confinement,  immediately  ran  to  the  apart- 
ment where  she  hoped  to  find  her  playmate. 
Disappointed  in  her  expectation,  she  sought  for 
him  with  symptoms  of  great  uneasiness  and 
loud  lamentation,  all  over  the  house,  till  she 
came  to  the  door  of  the  room  in  which  the 
corpse  lay.  Here  she  lay  down  in  silent 
melancholy,  till  she  was  again  locked  up.  As 
soon  as  the  child  was  interred,  and  the  cat  set 
at  liberty,  she  disappeared  ;  and  it  was  not  till 
a  fortnight  after  that  event,  that  she  returned 
to  the  well-known  apartment,  quite  emaciated. 
She  would  not,  however,  take  any  nourishment, 
and  soon  ran  away  again  with  dismal  cries.  At 
length,  compelled  by  hunger,  she  made  her  ap- 
pearance every  day  at  dinner-time,  but  always 
left  the  house  as  soon  as  she  had  eaten  the 
food  that  was   given  her.      No   one   knew   where 


92  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

she  spent  the  rest  of  her  time,  till  she  wa5 
found  one  day  under  the  wall  of  the  burying- 
ground,  close  to  the  grave  of  her  favourite  ;  and 
so  indelible  was  the  attachment  of  the  cat  to 
her  deceased  friend,  that  till  his  parents  removed 
to  another  place,  five  years  afterwards,  she  never, 
except  in  the  greatest  severity  of  winter,  passed 
the  night  any  where  else  than  at  the  above- 
mentioned  spot,  close  to  the  grave.  Ever  after- 
wards she  was  treated  with  the  utmost  kindness 
by  every  person  in  the  family.  She  suffered  her- 
self to  be  played  with  by  the  younger  children, 
although  without  exhibiting  a  particular  partiality 
for  any  of  them. 

"  There  is  another  story  of  the  cat's  attach- 
ment, of  a  somev/hat  less  melancholy  cast,  which 
I  lately  saw  recorded  in  a  provincial  newspaper. 

"  A  country  gentleman  of  our  acquaintance, 
who  is  neither  a  friend  to  thieves  nor  poachers? 
has  at  this  moment  in  his  household  a  favourite  cat, 
whose  honesty,  he  is  sorry  to  say,  there  is  but  too 


Www  'J 

THE  AFFECTIONATE   CAT.    Tage  9:.>. 


THE     PHILAXTHROPIC    CAT.  93 

much  reason  to  call  in  quesiion.  The  animal, 
however,  is  far  from  being  selfish  in  her  principles  ; 
for  her  acceptable  gleanings  she  regularly  share? 
among  the  children  of  the  family  in  "which  her  lot 
is  cast.  It  is  the  habit  of  grimalkin  to  leave  the 
kitchen  or  parlour,  as  often  as  hunger  and  an 
opportunity  may  occur,  and  wend  her  way  to  a 
certain  pastry-cook's  shop,  where,  the  better  to 
conceal  her  purpose,  she  endeavours  slily  to  in- 
gratiate herself  into  favour  with  the  mistress  of  the 
house.  As  soon  as  the  shopkeeper's  attention 
becomes  engrossed  in  business,  or  otherwise,  puss 
contrives  to  pilfer  a  small  pie  or  tart  from  the 
shelves  on  ^\ihich  they  are  placed,  speedily  after- 
wards making  the  best  of  her  way  home  with  her 
boot3^  She  then  carefully  deliv^ers  her  prize  to 
some  of  the  little  ones  in  the  nursery.  A  division 
of  the  stolen  property  quickly  takes  place  ;  and 
here  it  is  singularly  amusing  to  observe  the  cun- 
ning animal,  not  the  least  conspicuous  among  the 
numerous    group,  thankfully  mumping  her   shars 


04  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

of  the  illegal  traffic.  We  may  add  that  the  pastry- 
cook is  by  no  means  disposed  to  institute  a  legal 
process  against  the  delinquent,  as  the  children  of 
the  crentleman  to  whom  we  allude  are  honest 
enough  to  acknowledge  their  four-footed  playmate's 
failings  to  papa,  who  willingly  compensates  any 
damage  the  pastrycook  may  sustain  from  the 
petty  depredations  of  the  would-be  philanthropic 
cat. 

"  I  remember  how  highly  pleased  you  were  with 
the  story  which  I   told  you    about    the    dog  dis 
covering    the    murderers    of   his    master.      There 
is  one  of  a  veiy  similar   description  of  a  French 
cat,  which  I  am  sure  will  equally  interest  you. 

''  In  the  beginning  of  the  present  century  a 
woman  was  murdered  in  Paris.  The  magistrate 
who  went  to  investigate  the  aflair  was  accompanied 
by  a  physician  ;  they  found  ,.the  body  lying  upon 
the  floor,  and  a  greyhound  watching  over  it,  and 
howling  mournfully.  When  the  gentleman  entered 
the  apartment,  it  ran  to  them  without  barkinsf,  and 


THE    FAITHFUL    CAT.  95 

then  returned  with  a  melancholy  mien  to  the  body 
of  his  murdered  mistress.  Upon  a  chest  in  a 
corner  of  the  room  sat  a  cat,  motionless,  with  eyes 
expressive  of  furious  indignation,  stedfastiy  fixed 
upon  the  body.  Many  persons  now  entered  tlie 
apartment,  but  neither  the  appearance  of  such  a 
crowd  of  strangers,  nor  the  confusion  that  pre- 
vailed m  the  place,  could  make  her  change  her 
position.  In  the  mean  time,  some  persons  were 
apprehended  on  suspicion  of  being  the  murderers, 
and  it  was  resolved  to  lead  them  into  the  apart- 
ment. Before  the  cat  got  sight  of  them,  when  she 
only  heard  their  footsteps  approaching,  her  eyes 
flashed  w^th  increased  fuiy,  her  hair  stood  erect, 
and  so  soon  as  she  saw  them  enter  the  apartment, 
slie  sprang  towards  them  with  expressions  of  the 
most  violent  rage,  but  did  not  venture  to  attack 
them,  being  probably  alarmed  by  the  numbers  that 
followed.  Having  turned  several  times  towards 
them  with  a  peculiar  ferocity  of  aspect,  she  crept 
into  a  corner,  with  an  air  indicative  of  the  deepest 


96  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

melancholy.  This  behaviour  of  the  cat  astonished 
every  one  present.  The  effect  which  it  produced 
upon  the  murderers  was  such  as  almost  to  amount 
to  an  acknowledgment  of  guilt.  Nor  did  tins 
remain  long  doubtful,  for  a  train  of  accessory  cir- 
cumstances was  soon  discovered  which  proved  it  to 
complete  conviction. 

'^  I  have  often  warned  you  against  stones 
of  ghosts  and  hobgoblins,  and  shown  you  on 
how  frail  a  foundation  they  generally  rest.  There 
is  a  story  in  which  a  cat  was  one  of  the 
principal  actors,  which  contains  the  elements  of 
as  marvellous  a  tale  of  this  description  as  could 
be  desired.  It  happened  in  the  west  of  Scot- 
land. 

"  Some  years  ago.  a  poor  man  whose  habits  of 
life  had  always  been  of  the  most  retired  description, 
giving  way  to  the  natural  despondency  of  his 
disposition,  put  an  end  to  his  existence.  The  only 
other  inmate  of  his  cottage  was  a  favourite  cat, 
When  the  deed  was  discovered,  the  cat  was  found 


THE    suicide's    GRAVE.  97 

assiduously  watching  over  her  late  master's  body, 
and  it  was  with  some  difficulty  she  could  be  driven 
away. 

'•  The  appalling  deed  natural!)^  excited  a  great 
deal  of  attention  in  the  surrounding  neighbourhood; 
and   on   the  day  after   the  body  v\'as  deposited  in 

the  grave,  which  was  made  at  the  outside  of  the 
church-yard,  a  number  of  school-boys  ventured 
thither,  to  view  the  resting-place  of  one  who  had  at 
times  been  the  subject  of  villao^e  wonder,  and 
whose  recent  act  of  self-destruction  was  invested 
with  additional  interest.  At  first,  no  one  was  brave 
enough  to  venture  near ;  but  at  last,  tlie  appear- 
ance of  a  hole  in  the  side  of  the  g-rave  irresistibly 
attracted  their  attention.  Having  been  minutely 
examined,  it  was  at  length  determined  that  it  must 
have  been  the  work  of  some  body-snatcher,  and  tlie 
story  having  spread,  the  grave  was  minutely  ex~ 
amined,  but  as  the  body  had  not  been  removed,  the 
community  considered  themselves  fortimate  in 
having  made  so  narrow  an  escape.  The  turf 
7 


98  STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

was  replaced,  and  the  grave  again  carefully  covered 
up. 

'•  On  the  following  morning  the  turf  was  again 
displaced,  and  a  hole,  deeper  than  before,  yawned 
in  the  side  of  the  sad  receptacle.  Speculation  was 
soon  busy  at  work,  and  all  sorts  of  explanations 
were  suggested.  In  the  midst  of  their  speculations, 
alarmed  perhaps  by  the  noise  of  the  disputants, 
poor  puss  darted  from  the  hole,  much  to  the  con- 
fusion of  some  of  the  most  noisy  and  dogmatic 
expounders  of  the  mystery.  Again  the  turf  was 
replaced,  and  again  and  again  was  it  removed  by 
the  unceasinof  efforts  of  the  faithful  cat  to  share  the 
resting-place  of  her  deceased  master.  It  was  at 
last  found  necessary  to  shoot  her,  it  being  found 
impossible  otherwise  to  put  a  stop  to  her  unceasing 
importunities." 

'•'  Poor  puss  !  Wliat  a  pity  it  should  have  been 
necessary  to  destroy  such  a  faithful  animal.  I 
wonder  no  one  tried  to  gain  its  affections,  and  thus 
charm  it  from  its  dreary  abode.     Uncle  Thomas, 


THE    suicide's    GRAVE.  99 

did  you  ever  hear  Dr.  Good's  account  of  a  very- 
extraordinary  instance  of  sagacity  exemplified  by 
his  cat  ?  I  was  very  much  struck  with  it  when  I 
saw  it  a  day  or  two  ago  in  his  '  Book  of  Nature.' 
If  you  please,  I  will  read  it  to  you." 

"  Very  well,  Harry,  I  shall  be  glad  to  hear  it ; 
I  dare  say  it  is  an  old  acquaintance  of  mine.  I 
have  been  such  a  diligent  searcher  after  stories  of 
this  description,  that  I  think  very  few  have  escaped 
me." 

'•  A  favourite  cat,  that  was  accustomed  from  day 
to  day  to  take  her  station  quietly  at  my  elbow,  on 
the  writing  table,  sometimes  for  hour  after  hour, 
whilst  I  was  engaged  in  study,  became  at  length 
less  constant  in  her  attendance,  as  she  had  a  kit<^en 
to  take  care  of.  One  morning  she  placed  herself 
in  the  same  spot,  hut  seemed  unquiet,  and,  instead 
of  seating  herself  as  usual,  continued  to  rub  her 
furry  sides  against  my  hand  and  pen,  as  though 
resolved  to  draw  my  attention,  and  make  me  leave 
off.     As  soon  as  she  had  accomplished  this  point,  she 


100         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

leaped  down  on  the  carpet,  and  made  towards  the 
door,  with  a  look  of  great  uneasiness.  I  opened 
the  door  for  her,  as  she  seemed  to  desire,  but, 
instead  of  going  forward,  she  turned  round,  and 
looked  earnestly  at  me,  as  though  she  wished  me 
to  follow  her,  or  had  something  to  communicate. 
I  did  not  fully  understand  her  meanmg,  and,  being 
much  engaged  at  the  time,  shut  the  door  upon  her, 
that  she  might  go  where  she  liked. 

"  In  less  than  an  hour  afterwards,  however,  she 
had  again  found  an  entrance  into  the  room,  and 
drawn  close  to  me,  but,  instead  of  mounting  the 
table,  and  rubbing  herself  against  my  hand,  as 
before,  she  was  now  under  tlie  table,  and  continued 
to  rub  herself  against  my  feet,  on  moving  which  I 
struck  them  against  a  something  which  seemed  to 
be  in  their  way,  and,  on  looking  down,  beheld 
with  equal  grief  and  astonishment  the  dead  body  of 
her  little  kitten  which  I  supposed  had  been  alive 
and  in  good  health,  covered  over  with  cinder  dust. 
1  now  entered  into  the  entire  train  of  this  afflicted 


THE    BEREAVED    MOTHER.  101 

cat's  feelings.  She  had  suddenly  lost  the  nursling 
she  doated  on.  and  was  resolved  to  make  me  ac- 
quainted with  it, — assuredly  that  I  might  know 
her  grief,  and  probably  also  that  I  might  inquire 
into  the  cause,  and,  finding  me  too  dull  to  under- 
stand her  expressive  motioning  that  I  would  follow 
her  to  the  cinder  heap,  on  which  the  dead  kitten 
"  had  been  thrown,  she  took  the  grreat  labour  of 
bringing  it  to  me  herself,  from  the  area  on  the 
basement  floor,  and  up  a  whole  flight  of  stairs, 
and  laid  it  at  my  feet.  I  took  up  the  kitten  in  my 
hand,  the  cat  still  following  me,  made  inquiry  into 
the  cause  of  its  death,  which  I  found,  upon  sum 
moning  the  servants,  to  have  been  an  accident,  in 
which  no  one  was  much  to  blame  ;  and  the  yearn- 
ing mother  having  thus  obtained  her*  object,  and 
gotten  her  master  to  enter  into  her  cause,  and 
divide  her  sorrows  with  her,  gradually  took  com 
fort,  and  resumed  her  former  station  by  my  side." 

"  Thank    you,    Harry,    I    do    not    think    I   ever 
heard   that   storv   before.      Here   is   one   that   Avill 


102         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT, 

match  it  however,  displaying  considerable  ingenuity 
in  a  cat  in  the  protection  of  her  young. 

"A  cat  belonging  to  Mr.  Stevens,  of  the  Red 
Lion  Hotel,  Tmro^  having  been  removed  from  that 
town  to  a  bam  at  some  distance^  soon  afterwards 
produced  four  kittens.  Not  wishing  the  stock 
increased,  Mr.  Stevens  desired  three  of  them  to  be 
drowned,  next  morning,  before  opening  their  eyes 
on  the  world.  Puss  was  deeply  affected  by  this 
bereavement,  and  resolved  on  moving  her  remain- 
ing offspring  to  a  place  of  security.  "When  the 
person  appointed  to  feed  giimalkin  went  with  her 
breakfast  next  day,  no  traces  of  her  or  her  kitten 
vere  to  be  found.  He  called  ;  but  all  was  silent 
as  the  tomb  ;  every  corner  was  searched  in  vain  j 
no  cat  waS  forthcoming.  Here  the  matter  rested 
for  several  days,  when,  at  length,  early  one  morn- 
ing, puss  made  her  appearance  in  the  court  of  her 
master's  house,  a  melancholy  picture  of  starvation. 
Having  satisfied  her  hunger,  and  loitered  about  the 
house  during  the  day,  late  in  the  evening  she  took 


FELINE    SAGACITY,  103 

tier  departure,  carrying  away  some  meat.  For 
several  days  she  continued  her  visits  in  the  same 
manner,  taking  care  never  to  leave  home  empty- 
mouthed  at  night.  Her  proceedings  having  excited 
attention,  she  wrs  followed  hy  two  men,  in  one 
of  her  nocturnal  retreats,  and  traced  to  the  top  of  a 
wheai  sta^k  at  some  distance.  On  obtaining  a 
ladder,  her  surviving  kitten  was  found,  in  a 
curiously  constracted  hole,  steek  and  plump,  but  as 
wild  as  a  young  tiger,  and  would  allow  no  one  to 
touch  it  A  few  days  afterwaixis,  the  mother  find- 
ing, perhaps,  that  her  own  daily  journeys  were 
rather  fatiguing,  or  thinking  it  was  time  that  the 
object  of  her  solicitude  should  be  introduced  into 
the  world-  or,  probably,  that  the  kitten  had  attained 
an  age  when  it  could  protect  itself  she  took  ad- 
vantage of  a  dark  and  silent  night,  when  cat- 
worrying  dogs  and  boys  were  reposing,  to  convey 
it  safely  to  Truro,  where  tabby  and  her  kitten 
found  a  welcome  reception. 
=^' Though  from  bad.  education   tlie  cat  aud  dog 


104         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

ore  generally  the  most  determined  enemies,  some 
instances  have  occurred  of  the  greatest  friendship 
subsisting  between  these  animals.  Here  is  an 
instance  recorded  by  a  French  author  on  the  lan- 
guage of  Brutes, 

^'  I  had  a  cat  and  dog,  which  became  so  attached 
to  each  other,  that  they  would  never  willingly  be 
asunder.  Whenever  the  dog  got  any  choice  morsel 
of  food,  he  was  sure  to  divide  it  with  his  whiskered 
friend.  They  always  ate  sociably  out  of  one  plate, 
slept  in  the  same  bed,  and  daily  walked  out 
together.  Wishing  to  put  this  apparently  sincere 
friendship  to  the  proof,  I,  one  day,  took  the  cat  by 
herself  into  my  room,  while  I  had  the  dog  guarded 
in  another  apartment.  I  entertained  the  cat  in  a 
most  sumptuous  manner,  being  desirous  to  see 
what  sort  of  a  meal  she  vv'ould  m^ake  without  her 
friend,  w^ho  had  hitherto  been  her  constant  table 
companion.  The  eat  enjoyed  the  treat  with  great 
glee,  and  seemed  to  have  entirely  forgotten  the 
dog.      I  had  had  a  partridsfe  for  dinner,  half  of 


ANIMAL    FRIENDSHIP.  105 

which  I  intended  to  keep  for  supper.  My  wife 
covered  it  Vvdth  a  plate,  and  put  it  into  a  cupboard, 
the  door  of  which  she  did  not  lock.  The  cat  left 
tlie  room,  arid  I  walked  out  upon  business.  JMy 
wife,  meanwhile,  sat  at  work  in  an  adjoining  apart- 
ment: When  I  returned  home,  she  related  to  me 
the  following  circumstances  : — The  cat,  havino* 
hastily  left  the  dining  room,  went  to  the  clog-,  and 
mewed  uncommonly  loud,  and  in  different  tones 
of  voice ;  which  the  dog,  from  time  to  time, 
answered  with  a  short  bark.  They  both  then  went 
to  tlie  door  o[  the  room  where  the  cat  had  dined, 
and  waited  till  it  was  opened.  One  of  my  children 
opened  the  door,  and  immediately  the  two  friends 
entered  the  apartment.  The  mev/ing  of  the  cat 
excited  my  wife's  attention.  She  rose  from  her 
seat,  and  stepped  softly  up  to  the  door,  which  stood 
ajar,  to  observe  what  was  going  on.  Tiie  cat  led 
the  dog  to  the  cupboard  which  contained  tlie  par- 
tridge, pushed  off  the  plate  which  covered  it,  and, 
taking  out  my  intended  supper,  laid  it  before  her 


106         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

canine  friend,  who  devoured  it  greedily.  Probably 
the  cat,  by  her  nnewing,  had  given  the  dog  to 
understand  what  an  excellent  meal  she  had  made, 
and  how  sorry  she  was  that  he  had  not  participated 
in  it ;  but,  at  the  same  time,  had  explained  to  him 
that  something  was  left  for  him  in  the  cupboard, 
and  pei-suaded  him  to  follow  her  thither.  Since 
that  time  I  have  paid  particular  attention  to  these 
animals,  and  am  perfectly  convinced  that  they 
communicate  to  each  other  whatever  seems  inter- 
esting.^ 

"  Oh  !  indeed,  Uncle  Thomas,  do  you  think  that 
animals  understand  each  other  ?" 

"I  have  no  doubt  that  they  do  to  a  limited 
extent,  Harry,  but  I  cannot  go  the  whole  length  of 
Monsieur  Wenzel,  who  records  the  story  I  have 
just  told  you. 

"  I  will  now  tell  you  some  stories  about  some 
of  the  other  animals  of  the  cat  kind,  such  as  the 
lion,  tiger,  (fee. ;  and  though  these  animals  differ 
so  much  from  the  domestic  cat,  they  all  belong  to 


ANDROCLES    AND    THE    LION.  107 

the  same  family ;  the  huge  lion,  which  carries  off 
with  ease  a  buffalo  from  the  herd,  or  makes  the 
forest  tremble  with  his  hoarse  roar  is  no  more  than 
an  enormous  cat. 

"  I  dare  say  you  have  all  heard  the  story  of 
'  Androcles  and  the  Lion,'  which  is  recorded  in  that 
most  delightful  book,  '  Sandford  and  Merton.'  It  is 
so  captivating  a  tale,  that  I  must  repeat  it  to  you  as 
much  for  my  own  gratification  as  for  yours.  I  will 
just  observe,  however,  that  it  is  a  fiction,  and  not  a 
real  story,  though  I  can  tell  you  one  or  two  very 
similar  ones,  which  occurred  in  real  life." 

"  There  was  a  certain  slave  named  Androcles, 
who  was  so  ill  treated  by  his  master  that  his  life 
became  insupportable.  Finding  no  remedy  from 
what  he  suffered,  he  at  length  said  to  himself : — •  It 
is  better  to  die  than  to  continue  to  live  in  such 
hi  rdships  and  misery  as  I  am  obliged  to  suffer.  I 
am  determined,  therefore,  to  run  away  from  my 
master  ;  if  I  am  taken  again.  I  know  that  I  sball  be 
punished  with  a  cruel  death,  but  it  is  better  to  die 


108         STORIES  ABOUT  IXSTINCT. 

at  once,  than  to  live  in  misery.  If  I  escape,  I  must 
betake  myself  to  deserts  and  woods,  inhabited  only 
by  wild  beasts,  but  they  cannot  use  me  more  cruelly 
than  I  have  been  by  my  fellow-creatures,  therefore 
I  will  rather  trust  myself  to  them,  than  continue  to 
be  a  miserable  slave. 

'^  Having  formed  this  resolution,  he  took  an 
opportunity  of  leaving  his  master's  house,  and  hid 
himself  in  a  thick  forest,  which  was  some  miles 
distant  from  the  city.  But  here  the  unhappy  man 
found  that  he  had  only  escaped  from  one  kind  of 
misery  to  experience  another.  He  wandered  about 
all  day  through  a  vast  and  trackless  wood,  where 
his  flesh  was  continually  torn  by  thorns  and 
brambles.  He  grew  hungry,  but  he  could  find  no 
food  in  this  dreary  solitude.  At  length  he  was 
ready  to  die  with  fatigue,  and  lay  down  in  despair 
in  a  large  cavern. 

"  The  unfortunate  man  had  not  been  long  quiet 
in  the  cavern,  before  he  heard  a  dreadful  noise, 
which  seemed  to  be  the  roar  of  some  wild  beast, 


ANDROCLES    AND    THE    LION.  109 

and  terrified  him  very  much.  He  started  up  with 
a  design  to  escape,  and  had  already  reached  tlie 
mouth  of  the  cave,  when  he  saw  coming  towards 
him  a  lion  of  prodigious  size,  w^hich  prevented  any 
possibility  of  retreat.  He  now  believed  his  destruc- 
tion to  be  inevitable,  but  to  his  great  astonishment 
the  beast  advanced  towards  him  w^ith  a  gentle  pace, 
without  any  mark  of  enmity  or  rage,  and  uttered  a 
kind  of  mournful  voice,  as  if  he  demanded  the 
assistance  of  the  man. 

^'  Androcles,  who  was  naturally  of  a  resolute 
disposition,  acquired  courage  from  this  circum- 
stance to  examine  his  monstrous  guest,  who  gave 
him  sufficient  leisure  for  this  purpose.  He  saw,  as 
the  lion  approached  him,  that  he  seemed  to  limp 
upon  one  of  his  legs,  and  that  the  foot  was  ex- 
tremely swelled,  as  if  it  had  been  wounded.  Ac- 
quiring still  more  fortitude  from  the  gentle  de- 
meanour of  the  beast,  he  advanced  towards  him, 
and  took  hold  of  the  wounded  part  as  a  suro^eon 
would   examine   his   patient.      He   then   perceived 


110        STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

that  a  thorn  of  uncommon  size  had  penetrated  tlie 
ball  of  the  foot,  and  was  the  occasion  of  the  swel- 
lino-   and   the   lameness   which   lie   had    observed. 
Androcles  found  that  the  beast,  far  from  resenting 
his  familiarity,  received  it  with  the  greatest  gentle- 
ness,  and  seemed    to  invite  him  by  his  blandisli- 
ments  to  proceed.     He  therefore  extracted  the  thorn, 
and,  pressing  the  swelling,  discharged  a  considerable 
quantity  of   matter,  which  had  been  the  cause  of 
so  much  pain.     As  soon  as  the  beast  felt  himself 
thus    relieved,    he    began    to    testify    Iiis    joy    and 
gratitude    by  every  expression  in  his  power.      He 
jumped   about  like  a  wanton  spaniel,  wagged  his 
enormous  tail,  and  licked  the  feet  and  hands  of  his 
physician.     Nor  was  he  contented  with  these  de- 
monstrations   of   kindness.       From    tliis    moment 
Androcles  became  his  guest ;  nor  did  the  lion  ever 
sally  forth  in  quest  of  his  prey,  without  bringing 
home  the  produce  of  his  chase,  and  sharing  it  with 
his  friend. 

••  In  this  savage  state  of  hospitality  did  the  man 


ANDKOCLES   AND   THE   LIOX.     Ta^re  110. 


AXDROCLES    AND    THE    LION.  Ill 

continue  to  live  during  several  months.  At  length, 
wandering  unguardedly  through  the  woods,  he  met 
with  a  company  of  soldiers  sent  out  to  apprehend 
him,  and  was  hy  them  taken  prisoner,  and  con- 
ducted back  to  his  master.  The  laws  of  that 
country  being  very  severe  against  slaves,  he  was 
tried  and  found  guilty  of  having  fled  from  his 
master,  and  as  a  punishment  for  his  pretended 
crime,  he  was  sentenced  to  be  torn  in  pieces  by  a 
furious  lion,  kept  many  days  without  food,  to  inspire 
him  with  additional  rage. 

''  When  the  destined  moment  arrived,  the  un- 
happy man  was  exposed,  unarmed,  in  the  middle  of 
a  spacious  arena,  inclosed  on  every  side,  round 
which  many  thousand  people  were  assembled  to 
view  the  mournful  spectacle.  Presently  a  dreadful 
yell  was  heard,  which  struck  the  spectators  with 
horror,  and  a  monstrous  lion  rushed  out  of  a  den, 
which  was  purposely  set  open,  with  erected  mane 
and  fliiming  eyes,  and  jaws  that  gaped  like  an  open 
sepulchre.     A  mournful  silence  instantly  prevailed. 


112         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

AH  eyes  were  turned  upon  the  destined  victim^ 
whose  destruction  seemed  inevitable.  But  the  pity 
of  the  muhitude  was  soon  converted  into  astonish- 
ment, when  they  beheld  the  lion,  instead  of  destroy- 
ing- its  defenceless  enemy,  crouch  submissively 
at  his  feet,  fawn  upon  him  as  a  faithful  dog  would 
do  upon  his  master,  and  rejoice  over  him  as  a 
mother  that  unexpectedly  recovers  her  offspring. 
The  governor  of  the  town,  who  was  present,  then 
called  out  with  a  loud  voice,  and  ordered  Androcles 
to  explain  to  them  this  unintelligible  mystery,  and 
how  a  savage  of  the  fiercest  and  most  unpitying 
nature  should  thus  in  a  moment  have  forgotten  his 
innate  disposition,  and  be  converted  into  a  harmless 
and  inoffensive  animal.  Androcles  then  related  to 
the  assembly  every  circumstance  of  his  adventures, 
and  concluded  by  saying,  that  the  very  lion  \\  hich 
now  stood  before  them,  had  been  his  friend  and 
entertainer  in  the  woods.  All  present  were  aston- 
ished and  delighted  with  the  story,  to  find  that  even 
the  fiercest  beasts  are  capable  of  being  softened  by 


THE    ^FFECTIOXATE    LIOX.  113 

gratitude  ;  and,  being  moved  by  humanity,  they 
miaiiimously  joined  to  entreat  for  the  pardon  of  the 
unhappy  man,  from  the  governor  of  the  place. 
This  Avas  immediately  granted  to  him,  and  he  was 
also  presented  with  the  lion,  which  liad  twice  saved 
the  life  of  Androcles.'' 

"  Oh,  what  a  deliglitful  stoiy,  Uncle  Thomas  ! 
What  a  pity  it  is  that  it  is  not  true." 

"  I  can  tell  you  one  which  is  true,  joiin 
which  is  hardly,  if  at  all,  inferior  in  inter 
est: — 

'•  Sir  Georo-e  Davis,  who  was  Eno'lish  consul  at 
Naples  about  tlie  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century, 
happening  on  one  ocassion  to  be  in  Florence, 
visited  the  Men-agerie  of  the  Grand  Duke.  At  the 
farther  end  of  one  of  the  dens  he  saw  a  lion  which 
lay  in  sullen  majesty,  and  which  the  keepers  in- 
formed him  they  had  been  unable  to  tame,  although 
every  effort  had  been  used  for  upwards  of  three 
years.  Sir  George  had  no  sooner  reached  the  gate 
of  the  den,  than  the  lion  ran  to  it,  and  evinced 
8 


114         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

every  demonstration  of  joy  and  transport.  The 
animal  reared  himself  np,  purred  like  a  cat  when 
pleased,  and  licked  the  hand  of  Sir  George,  which  • 
he  had  put  through  the  bars.  The  keeper  was 
astonished  and  frightened  for  the  safety  of  his 
visitor,  entreated  him  not  to  trust  an  apparent  fit 
of  frenzy,  with  which  the  animal  seemed  to  be 
seized ;  for  he  was,  without  exception,  the  most 
fierce  and  sullen  of  his  tribe  which  he  had  ever 
seen.  This,  however,  had  no  effect  on  Sir  George, 
who,  notwithstanding  every  entreaty  on  the  part  of 
the  keeper,  insisted  on  entering  the  lion's  den. 
The  moment  he  got  in,  the  delighted  lion  threw  his 
paws  upon  his  shoulders,  licked  his  face,  and  ran 
about  him,  rubbing  his  head  on  Sir  George,  purring 
and  fawning  like  a  cat  when  expressing  its  affection 
for  its  master.  ^  This  occurrence  became  the  talk 
of  Florence,  and  reached  the  ears  of  the  Grand 
Duke,  who  sent  for  Sir  George,  and  requested  an 
interview  at  the  menagerie,  that  he  might  witness 
so  extraordinary  a  circumstance,  when  Sir  George 


THE    AFFECTIONATE    LIOX.  115 

gave  the  foUovvdiig  explanation  :  '  A  captain  of  a 
ship  from  Barbary  gave  me  this  lion,  when  quite  a 
whelp.  I  brought  him  up  tame ;  but  when  I 
thougfht  him  too  laro^e  to  be  suffered,  to  run  about 
the  house,  I  built  a  den  for  him  in  my  court-yard. 
From  that  time  he  was  never  permitted  to  be  loose, 
except  when  brought  to  the  house  to  be  exhibited 
to  my  friends.  When  he  was  five  years  old,  he 
did  some  miscliief  by  pawing  and  playing  with 
people  in  his  frolicsome  moods.  Having  griped  a 
man  one  day  a  little  too  hard,  I  ordered  him  to  be 
shot,  for  fear  of  myself  incurring  the  guilt  of  what 
might  happen.  On  this  a  friend,  who  happened  to 
be  then  at  dinner  with  me,  begged  him  as  a  present. 
How  he  came  here,  I  know  not.'  The  Grand  Duke 
cf  Tuscany,  on  hearing  his  story,  said  it  was  the 
very  same  person  who  had  presented  him  with  the 
lion." 

"  Oh !  Uncle  Thomas :  I  should  have  been 
terribly  afraid  to  have  ventured  into  the  lion's 
den  !" 


116         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

"  I  dare  say  you  would,  John,  and  so  should  1. 
But  some  stories  are  recorded  of  the  gentleness  of 
the  lion,  as  almost  to  justify  such  acts  of  what 
would  otherwise  appear  fool-hardiness. 

'•  Part  of  a  ship's  crew  being  sent  ashore  on  the 
coast  of  India  for  the  purpose  of  cutting  wood,  the 
curiosity  of  one  of  the  men  having  led  him  to  stray 
to  a  considerable  distance  from  his  companions,  he 
was  much  alarmed  by  the  appearance  of  a  large 
lioness,  who  made  towards  him ;  but,  on  her 
coming  up,  his  fear  was  allayed,  by  her  lying  down 
at  his  feet,  and  looking  very  earnestly,  first  in  his 
face,  and  then  at  a  tree  some  little  distance  off. 
After  repeating  these  looks  several  times,  she  arose, 
and  proceeded  towards  the  tree,  looking  back,  as  if 
she  wished  the  sailor  to  follow  her.  At  length  he 
ventured,  and,  coming  to  the  tree,  perceived  a  huge 
baboon,  with  two  young  cubs  in  her  arms,  which 
he  immediately  supposed  to  be  those  of  the  lioness', 
as  she  crouched  down  like  a  cat,  and  seemed  to  eye 
tiiem  very  stedfastly.      The  man  being  afraid    to 


THE  LIONESS  AND  THE   BABOON.    Pa-e  117. 


117 

ascend  the  tree,  decided  on  cutting  it  down,  and 
having  his  axe  with  him,  he  set  actively  to  work^ 
when  the  Honess  seemed  most  attentive  to  what  he 
was  doing.  'When  the  tree  fell,  she  pounced  upon 
the  baboon,  and,  after  tearing  her  in  pieces,  she 
turned  round,  and  licked  the  cubs  for  some  time. 
She  then  returned  to  the  sailor,  and  fawned  round 
him,  rubbing  her  head  against  him  in  great  fond- 
ness, and  in  token  of  her  gratitude  for  the  service 
done  her.  After  this,  she  carried  the  cubs  away 
one  by  one,  and  the  sailor  rejoined  his  companions, 
much  pleased  with  the  adventure. 

"  Another  author  tells  such  a  graphic  story  of  a 
lion's  entertaining  a  hunter,  that  I  must  let  you  hear 
it  also,  though  I  must  say  that  I  think  he  has  rather 
overstrained  it. 

"A  hunter  on  one  occasion  having  gone  in 
search  of  a  lion,  and  having  penetrated  a  con- 
siderable distance  into  a  forest,  happened  to  meet 
with  two  whelps  of  a  lion  that  came  to  caress  hmi, 
The  hunter  stopped  with  the  little  animals,   and 


118         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

waiting  for  the  coming  of  the  sire  or  the  dam,  took 
out  his  breakfast,  and  gave  them  a  part.  The 
lioness  arrived,  unperceived  by  the  huntsman,  so 
that  he  had  not  time,  or  perhaps  wanted  the  cour- 
age, to  take  his  gun.  After  having  for  some  time 
looked  at  the  man  who  was  thus  feasting  her  young, 
the  lioness  burst  away,  and  soon  after  returned, 
bearing  with  her  a  sheep,  which  she  came  and  laid 
at  the  huntsman's  feet.  The  hunter,  thus  become 
one  of  the  family,  took  occasion  to  make  a  good 
YXieal, — skinned  the  sheep,  made  a  fire,  and  roasted 
a  part,  giving  the  entrails  to  the  young.  The  lion, 
in  his  turn,  came  also;  and,  as  if  respecting  the 
rights  of  hospitality,  showed  no  tokens  whatever  of 
ferocity.  Their  guest,  the  next  day,  having  fin- 
ished his  provisions,  returned  home,  and  came  to  a 
resolution  never  more  to  kill  any  of  these  animals, 
the  noble  generosity  of  which  he  had  so  fully  ex- 
perienced. He  stroked  and  caressed  the  whelps  ax 
taking  leave  of  them,  and  the  dam  and  sire  accom- 
panied him  till  he  was  safely  out  of  the  forest." 


ESCAPE    OF    A    LIONESS.  119 

*'  Well,  Uncle  Thomas,  I  cannot  believe  that.  1 
think  the  man  would  have  been  too  glad  to  escape, 
to  have  staid  so  long  with  such  unsafe  con> 
panions.." 

"You  are  quite  right,  Harry,  I  cannot  expect 
that  you  should  give  credit  to  a  story  which  I 
myself  disbelieve.  Here  is  a  story  about  the  fero- 
city of  the  lion,  which  is,  however,  beyond  all 
doubt. 

"  In  the  year  1816  the  horses  which  wero  drag- 
ging the  Exeter  mail  coach  were  attacked  in  the 
most  furious  manner  by  a  lion-^s,  which  had 
escaped  from  a  travelling  menagerie, 

"  At  the  moment  when  the  coachman  pulled  up, 
to  deliver  his  baofs  at  one  of  the  sta2:es  a  few  miles 
from  the  town  of  Salisbury,  one  of  the  leading 
horses  was  suddenly  seized  by  a  ferocious  animal. 
This  produced  a  great  confusion  and  alarm.  Two 
passengers,  who  were  inside  the  mail,  got  out  and 
ran  into  the  house.  The  horse  kicked  and  plunged 
violently  ;  and  it  was  with  difficulty  the  driver  could 


120         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

prevent  the  coach  from  being  overturned.  It  was 
soon  observed  by  the  coachman  and  guard,  by  the 
lio-ht  of  the  lamps,  that  the  animal  which  had 
seized  the  horse  was  a  huge  lioness.  A  large 
mastiff  dog  came  up  and  attacked  her  fiercely, 
on  which  she  quitted  the  horse  and  turned  upon 
him.  The  dog  fled,  but  was  pursued  and  killed 
by  the  lioness,  within  about  forty  yards  of  the 
place.  It  appears  that  the  beast  had  escaped 
from  a  caravan,  which  was  standing  on  the 
road  side,  and  belonged  to  a  menagerie,  on  its 
way  to  Salisbury  fair.  An  alarm  being  given, 
the  keepers  pursued  and  hunted  the  lioness, 
carrying  the  dog  in  her  teeth,  into  a  hovel  under 
a  granaiy,  which  served  for  keeping  agricultural 
implements.  About  half  past  eight,  they  had 
secured  her  effectually,  by  barricading  the  place, 
so  as  to  prevent  her  escape.  The  horse,  when 
first  attacked,  fought  with  great  spirit ;  and 
if  he  had  been  at  liberty,  would  probably  have 
beaten   down    his    antagonist  with    his    tore   feet 


ESCAPE    OF    A    LIONESS.  121 

but  in  plunging  he  entangled  himself  in  the 
harness.  The  lioness,  it  appears,  attacked  him 
in  front,  and  springing  at  his  throat,  had  fastened 
the  talons  of  her  fore  feet  on  each  side  of  liis 
gullet,  close  to  the  head,  while  the  talons  of 
her  hind  feet  were  forced  into  the  chest.  In 
this  situation  she  hung,  while  the  blood  was 
seen  streaming,  as  if  a  Yein  had  been  opened 
by  a  lancet.  The  furious  animal  missed  the 
throat  and  jugular  vein ;  but  the  horse  was 
so  dreadfully  torn,  that  he  was  not  at  first  ex- 
pected to  surv^ive.  The  expressions  of  agony, 
in  his  tears  and  moans,  were  most  piteous  and 
affecting.  Whether  the  lioness  was  afraid  of 
her  prey  being  taken  from  her,  or  from  some 
other  cause,  she  continued  a  considerable  time 
after  she  had  entered  the  hovel,  roaring  in  a 
dreadful  manner,  so  loud,  indeed,  that  she  was 
distinctly  heard  at  the  distance  of  half  a  mile. 
She  was  eventually  secured  and  led  back  in  triumph 
to  her  cell." 


122        STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

"  It  was  fortunate  that  it  did  not  attack  the  pas- 
sengers, Uncle  Thomas." 

"  Very  much  so,  indeed ;  it  might  have  turned 
out  a  very  serious  affair,  Frank." 


CHAPTER   YI. 

VJncle  Thomas  tells  about  the  Tiger  ;  its  Ferocity  and  Power , 
and  of  the  Curious  Modes  v/hich  are  adopted  for  its  Capture 
and  Destruction. — Also  about  the  Pu-ma  or  American  Lion, 
and  introduces  some  Hunting  Scenes  in  North  and  South 
America,  with  other  Interesting  and  Entertaining  Adven- 
lures. 

''  LoxG  as  the  stories  were,  Boys,  which  I  told  you 
last  night  about  the  lion,  I  have  not  yet  quite  done 
with  the  animals  of  the  cat  kind  ;  there  are  still  one 
or  two  stories  about  the  tiger  and  the  puma  or 
American  lion,  which  I  wish  to  tell  you  of,  if  you 
do  not  think  we  have  already  had  enough  of 
them." 

'•  Oh,  no,  Uncle  Thomas,  pray  do  continue." 
"  Very  well,  I  will  first  tell  you  about  the  tiger. 
"  The  tiger,  which  inhabits  the  rich  jungles  of 
India,  nearly  equals  the  lion  in  strength,  and  per- 
haps excels  him  in  activity  and  ferocity.     A  very 


124         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

affecting  instance  of  his  ferocity,  by  which  a  fine 
young  man,  the  only  son  of  Sir  Hector  ]Munro,  lost 
his  life,  is  thus  related  by  one  of  the  party  : 

"  Yesterday  morning,  Captain  George  Downey, 
Lieutenant  Pyefinch,  poor  Mr.  IMunro  (of  the 
Honourable  East  India  Company's  service),  and 
myself  (Captain  Consar),  went  on  shore,  on  Saugur 
Island,  to  shoot  deer.  We  saw  innumerable  tracks  of 
tigers  and  deer  ;  but  still  we  were  induced  to  pursue 
our  sport :  and  did  so  the  whole  day.  About  half 
past  three,  we  sat  down  on  the  edge  of  the  jungle, 
to  eat  some  cold  meat,  sent  to  us  from  the  ship, 
and  had  just  commenced  our  meal,  when  Mr.  Pye- 
finch  and  a  black  servant  told  us  there  was  a  fine 
deer  within  six  yards  of  us.  Captain  Downey  and 
I  immediately  jumped  up,  to  take  our  guns ;  mine 
was  nearest,  and  I  had  but  just  laid  liold  of  it,  when 
I  heard  a  roar  like  thunder,  and  saw  an  immense 
royal  tiger  spring  on  the  unfortunate  Munro,  who 
was  sitting  down  ;  in  a  moment  his  head  was  in 
the  beast's  mouth,  and  he  rushed  into  the  jungle 


FEROCITY    OF    THE    TIGER.  125 

with  him,  with  as  much  ease  as  I  could  hft  a  kitten, 
tearing  him  through  the  thickest  bushes  and  trees, 
every  thing  yielding  to  his  monstrous  strength. 
The  agonies  of  horror,  regret,  and,  I  must  say,  fear 
(for  there  were  two  tigers),  rushed  on  me  at  once ; 
the  only  eifort  I  could  make  was  to  fire  at  him, 
though  the  poor  youth  was  still  in  his  mouth.  I 
relied  partly  on  Providence,  partly  on  my  own  aim, 
and  fired  a  musket.  The  tiwr  staoforered,  and 
seemed  agitated,  which  I  took  notice  of  to  my  com 
panions.  Captain  Downey  then  fired  two  shots, 
and  I  one  more.  We  retired  from  the  jungle,  and, 
a  few  minutes  after,  Mr.  Munro  came  up  to  us  all 
over  blood  and  fell.  We  took  him  on  our  backs  to 
the  boat,  and  got  every  medical  assistance  for  him 
from  the  Yalentine  Indiaman,  which  lay  at  anchor 
near  the  Island,  but  in  vain.  He  lived  twenty-four 
hours  in  the  utmost  torture  ;  his  head  and  skull  were 
all  torn  and  broken  to  pieces,  and  he  was  also  wound- 
ed, by  the  animaFs  claws,  all  over  his  neck  and 
shoulders  ;    but  it   was   better   to   take  him  away, 


126         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

though  irrecoverable,  than  leave  him  to  be  mangled 
and  devoured.  We  have  just  read  the  funeral 
service  over  his  body,  and  committed  it  to  the  deep. 
Mr.  Munro  was  an  amiable  and  promising  youth. 
I  must  observe,  there  was  a  large  fire  blazing  close 
to  us,  composed  of  ten  or  a  dozen  Avhole  trec^.s.  I 
made  it  myself  on  purpose  to  keep  the  tigers  oiF,  as 
I  had  always  heard  it  would.  There  were  eight  or 
ten  of  the  natives  about  us  ;  many  shots  had  been 
fired  at  the  place  ;  there  was  much  noise  and 
laughing  at  the  time ;  but  this  ferocious  animal 
disregarded  all.  The  human  mind  cannot  form  an 
idea  of  the  scene  ;  it  turned  my  very  soul  within 
me.  The  beast  was  about  four  feet  and  a  half 
high,  and  nine  long.  His  head  appeared  as  large 
as  that  of  an  ox ;  his  eyes  darting  fire,  and  his  roar, 
when  he  first  seized  his  prey,  will  never  be  out  of  my 
recollection.  We  had  scarcely  pushed  our  boat  from 
that  cursed  shore,  when  the  tigress  made  her  appear- 
ance, raging,  almost  mad,  and  remained  on  the  sand, 
as  long  as  the  distance  would  allow  me  to  see  her." 


TIGER    HUNTING.  127 

"■  Ohj  dreadfulj  Uncle  Thomas  !  I  declare  it 
makes  my  hair  stand  on  end !'' 

"  It  IS  a  fearful  tale,  John,  and  shows  you  what  a 
scourge  such  an  animal  must  be  to  the  inhabitants 
of  the  country  in  which  it  is  found.  It  frequents 
the  deserts  of  Asia,  but  in  some  places  where  civili- 
zation has  commenced,  it  prowls  about  the  villages 
and  commits  o^reat  havoc  amono^  the  herds  of  the 
inhabitants,  who  therefore  find  it  necessaiy  to  adopt 
various  schemes  for  its  destruction ;  some  of  these 
devices  are  very  curious. 

"  A  large  cage  of  strong  bamboos  is  constructed, 
and  fastened  firmly  to  the  ground,  in  a  place  which 
the  tigers  frequent.  In  this  a  man  takes  up  his 
station  for  the  night.  He  is  generally  accompanied 
by  a  dog  or  a  goat,  which  by  its  extreme  agitation  is 
sure  t'o  give  notice  of  the  tiger's  approach.  His 
weapons  consist  of  two  or  three  strong  spears,  and 
thus  provided  he  wraps  himself  in  his  quilt,  and 
veiy  composedly  goes  to  sleep  in  the  full  confidence 
of  safety.     By  and  by  the  tiger  makes  his  appear- 


128         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

ance,  and  after  duly  reconnoitring  all  round,  begins 
to  rear  against  the  cage,  seeking  for  some  means  of 
entering.  The  hunter,  who  watches  his  opportu- 
nity, thrusts  one  of  his  spears  into  the  animal's 
body,  and  seldom  fails  to  destroy  it." 

"  That  is  a  very  good  plan,  Uncle  Thomas,  and 
does  not  seem  to  be  attended  with  much  danger,  if 
the  cage  be  strong  enough." 

"  No,  Boys,  it  is  not  very  dangerous,  but  I  don't 
think  any  of  you  would  like  to  trust  yourselves  so 
exposed.  Here,  however,  is  another  mode  of  de- 
stroying the  tiger,  which  is  practised  in  some  parts 
of  India. 

"  The  track  of  a  tiger  being  ascertained,  which 
though  not  invariably  the  same,  may  yet  be  known 
sufficiently  for  the  purpose,  the  peasants  collect  a 
quantity  of  the  leaves  of  the  prous,  which  are  like 
those  of  the  sycamore,  and  are  common  in  most 
underwoods,  as  they  form  the  largest  portion  of 
most  jungles  in  India.  These  leaves  are  smeared 
with  a  species  of  bird-lime,  made  by  bruising  the 


TIGER    HUNTING.  129 

berries  of  a  tree  by  no  means  scarce.  They  are 
then  strewed,  with  the  ghiten  uppermost,  near  to 
the  spot  to  which  it  is  understood  rhe  tiger  usually 
retires  during  noon-tide  heat.  If  by  chance  the 
animal  should  tread  on  one  of  these  smeared  leaves 
his  fate  is  certain.  He  commences  by  shaking  his 
paw,  with  the  view  to  remove  the  adhesive  incum- 
brance, but  finding  no  relief  from  that  expedient, 
he  rubs  the  nuisance  against  his  jaw  with  the  same 
intention,  by  which  means  his  eyes,  ears,  &c. 
become  covered  with  the  same  substance.  This 
occasions  such  uneasiness  as  causes  him  to  roll 
perhaps  among  many  more  smeared  leaves,  till  at 
length  he  becomes  completely  enveloped,  and  he  is 
deprived  of  sight,  and  in  this  situation  may  be  com- 
pared to  a  man  who  has  been  tarred  and  feathered. 
The  anxiety  produced  by  this  strange  and  no\^l 
predicament,  soon  discovers  itself  in  dreadful  howl- 
ingSj  which  serve  to  call  the  watchful  peasants, 
who  in  this  disabled  state  find  no  difficulty  m  shoot- 
ing t]ie  object  of  detestation." 
9 


130         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

"  Tlia.  is  better  still,  Uncle  Thomas  ;  I  think  that 
is  the  most  ingenious  way  of  catching  an  animal 
that  I  ever  heard  of." 

"  I  must  now  tell  you  something  about  the  puma 
or  American  lion,  which  is  also  taken  in  a  very 
ingenious  manner  by  the  natives  of  South  America. 
It  is  generall}^  hunted  by  means  of  dogs.  When 
they  unkennel  a  lion  or  a  tiger,  they  pursue  him 
till  he  stops  to  defend  himself  The  hunter,  who 
is  mounted  on  a  good  steed,  follows  close  behind, 
and  if  the  dogs  seize  upon  the  animal,  the  hunter 
jumps  off  his  horse,  and,  while  the  lion  is  engaged 
in  contending  with  the  dogs,  strikes  him  on  the 
head,  and  thus  dispatches  him.  If,  however,  the 
dogs  are  afraid  to  attack  him,  the  hunter  uses  his 
lasso,  dexterously  fixes  it  round  some  part  of  the 
animal,  and  gallops  away,  dragging  it  after  him. 
The  dogs  now  rush  in  and  tear  him,  when  he  is 
soon  dispatched. 

"  When  woTUided  the  puma  grows  furious  and 
irresistible.      Here    is    a  story  which    shows    the 


PUMA   HUNT.  131 

fierceness  of  the  animal : — Two  hunters  having 
gone  in  quest  of  game  to  the  Catskili  mountains, 
province  of  New  York,  each  armed  with  a  gun, 
and  accompanied  by  a  dog,  they  agreed  to  go  in 
contrary  directions  round  the  base  of  the  hill,  which 
formed  one  of  the  points  of  that  chain  of  moun- 
tains ;  and  it  was  settled  that,  if  either  discharged 
his  piece,  the  other  should  hasten  to  the  spot 
whence  the  report  proceeded  as  speedily  as  possible, 
to  join  in  the  pursuit  of  whatever  game  might  fall 
to  their  lot.  They  had  not  been  long  asander, 
when  the  one  heard  the  other  fire,  and,  agreeably  to 
promise,  hastened  to  join  his  companion.  He  looked 
for  him  in  every  direction  ;  but  to  no  purpose.  At 
length,  however,  he  came  upon  the  dog  of  his 
friend,  dead,  and  dreadfully  lacerated.  Convinced 
by  this,  that  the  animal  his  comrade  had  shot,  at 
Was  ferocious  and  formidable,  he  felt  much  alarm 
for  his  fate,  and  sought  after  him  with  great  anxiety. 
lie  had  not  proceeded  many  yards  from  the  spot 
where  the  dog  lay  prostrate,  when  his  attention  was 


132         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

arrested  by  the  ferocious  growl  of  some  wild  ani- 
mal. On  raising  his  eyes  to  the  spot  whence  the 
sound  proceeded,  he  discovered  a  large  puma 
couching  on  the  branch  of  a  tree,  and  under  him 
the  body  of  his  friend.  The  animaPs  eyes  glared 
at  him,  and  he  appeared  hesitating  whether  he 
should  descend,  and  make  an  attack  on  the  survivor 
also,  or  relinquish  his  prey,  and  decamp.  The 
hunter,  aware  of  the  celerity  of  the  puma's  move- 
ments, knew  that  there  was  no  time  for  reflection, 
levelled  his  piece,  and  mortally  wounded  the  ani- 
mal, when  it  and  the  body  of  the  man  fell  togetlier 
from  the  tree.  His  dog  then  attacked  the  wounded 
puma,  but  a  single  blow  from  its  paw  laid  it  pros- 
trate. In  this  state  of  things,  finding  his  comrade 
was  dead,  and  knowing  it  was  dangerous  to  ap- 
proach the  wounded  animal,  he  went  in  search  of 
assistance,  and  on  returning  to  the  spot  he  found 
nis  companion,  the  puma,  and  the  two  dogs,  all 
lying  dead. 
"  The  celebrated  naturalist    Audubon  gives    an 


PUMA    HUNT.  133 

interesting  account  of  a  hunt  which  he  had  after 
the  puma,  in  one  of  the  back  settlements  of  North 
America.  In  the  course  of  his  rambles  he  arrived 
at  the  cabin  of  a  squatter  on  the  banks  of  Cold- 
Water  Riverj  and  after  a  hospitable  reception,  and 
an  evening  spent  in  relating  their  adventures  in  the 
chase,  it  was  agrreed  in  the  morning:  to  hunt  the 
puma  which  had  of  late  been  making  sad  ravages 
among  the  squatter's  pigs. 

"  The  hunters  accordingly  made  their  appear- 
ance just  as  the  sun  was  emerging  from  the  hori- 
zon. They  were  five  in  number,  and  fully  equipped 
for  the  chase,  being  mounted  on  horses  which  in 
some  parts  of  Europe  might  appear  sorry  nags,  but 
which,  in  strength,  speed,  and  bottom,  are  better 
fitted  for  pursuing  a  puma  or  bear  through  woods 
and  morasses  than  any  in  that  country.  A  pack  of 
large  ugly  curs  were  already  engaged  in  making 
acquaintance  with  those  of  the  squatter.  He  and 
myself  mounted  his  two  best  horses^  whilst  his  sons 
were  bestriding  others  of  inferior  quality. 


134         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

"  Few  words  were  uttered  by  the  party  until  we 
had  reached  the  edge  of  the  swamp  where  it  was 
agreed  that  all  should  disperse  and  seek  for  the 
fresh  track  of  the  puma,  it  being  previously  settled 
that  the  discoverer  should  blow  his  horn,  and 
remain  on  the  spot  until  the  rest  should  join  him. 
In  less  than  an  hour,  the  sound  of  the  horn  was 
clearly  heard,  and,  sticking  close  the  squatter,  off 
we  went  through  the  thick  woods,  guided  only  by 
the  moon  and  the  repeated  call  of  the  distant  hunts- 
man. "We  soon  reached  the  spot,  and  in  a  sliort 
time  the  rest  of  the  party  came  up.  The  best  dog 
was  sent  forward  to  attack  the  animal,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  the  whole  pack  were  observed  diligently 
tracking  and  bearing  in  their  coui^e  for  the  interior 
of  the  swamp.  The  riiles  were  immediately  put  in 
trim,  and  the  party  followed  the  dogs  at  separate 
distances,  within  sight  of  each  other,  determined  to 
shoot  at  no  other  game  than  the  puma. 

"  The  dogs  soon  began  to  mouth,  and  suddenly 
quickened  their  pace.     My  companions  concluded 


PUMA    HUXTIXG.  13£> 

that  the  beast  Avas  on  the  ground,  and  putting  our 
horses  to  a  gentle  gallop,  we  followed  the  curs, 
guided  by  their  voices.  The  noise  of  tlie  dogs 
increased,  when  all  of  a  sudden  their  mode  of  bark- 
ing became  altered,  and  the  squatter,  urging  nie  to 
push  on,  told  me  the  beast  was  treed^  by  which  he 
meant  that  it  had  got  uf-on  some  low  branch  of  a 
large  tree,  to  rest  for  a  few  moments,  and  that 
should  we  not  succeed  in  shootnig  him  while  thus 
situated  we  might  expect  a  long  chase  of  it.  As  we 
approached  the  spot^  we  all  by  degrees  united  into 
a  body,  but  on  seeing  the  dogs  at  the  foot  of  a  large 
tree,  separated  again,  and  galloped  off  to  sur- 
round it 

'-'•  Each  hunter  now  moved  with  caution,  holding 
his  orun  ready,  and  alio  win  of  the  bridle  to  dano^le  on 
the  neck  of  his  horse,  as  it  advanced  slowly  tow^ards 
the  dogs.  A  shot  from  one  of  th  party  was  heard, 
on  which  the  puma  was  seen  to  leap  to  the  oround 
and  bound  off  with  such  velocity  as  to  show  that  he 
was  very  unwilling  to  stand  our  fire  longer.     The 


136         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

dogs  set  off  in  pursuit  with  the  utmost  eagerness 
and  a  deafening  cry :  the  hunter  who  had  fired 
came  up,  and  said  that  his  ball  had  hit  the 
monster,  and  had  probably  broken  one  of  his  fore 
legs  near  the  slioulder.  the  only  place  at  which  he 
could  aim ;  a  slight  trail  of  blood  was  discovered 
on  the  ground,  but  the  curs  proceeded  at  such  a 
rate,  that  we  merely  noticed  this  and  put  spurs  to 
our  horses,  which  galloped  on  towards  the  centre 
of  the  swamp.  One  bayou  (a  part  of  the  swamp  in 
which  the  water  accumulates)  was  crossed,  then 
another  still  larger  and  more  muddy,  but  the  dogs 
were  brushing  forward,  and  as  the  horses  began  to 
pant  at  a  furious  rate,  we  judged  it  expedient  to 
leave  them  and  advance  on  foot.  These  deter- 
mined hunters  knew  that  the  animal,  being  wounded, 
■would  shortly  ascend  another  tree,  where  in  all 
probability  he  would  remain  for  a  considerable 
time,  and  that  it  was  easy  to  follow  the  track  of  the 
dogs.  We  dismounted,  took  oif  the  saddles  and 
bridles,  set  the  bells  attached  to  the  horses,  necks  at 


PUMA    HUNTIXG.  137 

liberty  to  jingle,  hoppled  the  animals  (fastening  the 
bridle  to  one  of  their  legs  so  that  they  could  not 
stray  far),  and  left  them  to  shift  for  themselves. 

"  After  marching  for  a  couple  of  hours,  we  again 
heard  the  dogs.  Each  of  us  pressed  forward,  elated 
at  the  thought  of  terminating  the  career  of  the 
puma ;  some  of  the  dogs  were  heard  whining, 
although  the  greater  part  barked  vehemently.  We 
felt  assured  that  the  animal  was  treed,  and  that  he 
would  rest  for  some  time  to  recover  from  his  fatigue. 
As  we  came  up  to  the  dogs  we  discovered  the 
furious  animal  lying  across  a  large  branch  close  to 
the  trunk  of  a  cotton-wood  tree.  His  broad  breast 
lay  towards  us,  his  eyes  were  at  one  time  bent  on 
us,  and  again  on  the  dogs,  beneath,  and  around 
him  ;  one  of  his  fore-legs  hung  down  loosely  bv 
his  side,  and  he  lay  crouched  with  his  ears  lowered 
close  to  his  head,  as  if  he  thought  he  miglit  remain 
undiscovered-  Three  balls  were  fired  at  him  at  a 
given  signal,  on  which  he  sprung  a  few  feet  from 
the  branch,  and  tumbled  headlong-  to  tlie  g-round. 


[38         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

Attacked  on  all  sides  by  the  enraged  curs,  the  infii* 
fiated  animal  fought  with  desperate  valour ;  but 
the  squatter  advancing  in  front  of  the  party,  and 
almost  in  the  midst  of  the  dogs,  shot  him  imme- 
diately behind  and  beneath  the  left  shoulder.  He 
writhed  for  a  moment  in  agony,  and  in  another  lay 
dead." 

"  It  must  be  very  exciting  employment,  hunting 
the  puma,  Uncle  Thomas.'^ 

"  And  not  a  little  dangerous  too.  Boys,  for  you 
hear  how  fiercely  he  maintains  his  ground.  With 
all  their  fierceness,  however,  the  fear  of  man  is  over 
even  this  relentless  race  of  animals.  Captain  Head, 
who  has  written  an  amusing  book  called  '  Rough 
Notes  of  Rapid  Rides  across  the  Pampas,'  thus 
speaks  on  this  subject : 

"The  fear  which  all  wild  animals  in  America 
have  of  man  is  very  singularly  exhibited  in  the 
Pampas.  I  often  rode  towards  the  ostriches  and 
zamas,  crouching  under  the  opposite  side  of  my 
liorse's  neck;    but  I  always  found  that,  although 


A   SURPRISE.  139 

they  would  allow  my  loose  horse  to  approach  them, 
they,  even  when  young,  ran  from  me,  though  little 
of  my  figure  Avas  visible  ;  and  when  I  saw  them  all 
enjoying  themselves  in  such  full  liberty,  it  was  at 
first  not  pleasing  to  observe  that  one's  appearance 
was  every  where  a  signal  to  them  that  they  should 
fiy  from  their  enemy.  Yet  it  is  by  this  fear  '  that 
mail  hath  dominion  over  the  beasts  of  the  field,' 
and  there  is  no  animal  in  South  America  that  does 
not  acknowledo^e  this  instinctive  feelinof.  As  a 
singular  proof  of  the  above,  and  of  the  difference 
between  the  wild  beasts  of  America  and  of  the  old 
world,  I  will  venture  to  relate  a  circumstance  which 
a  man  sincerely  assured  me  had  happened  to  him 
in  South  America. 

"  He  was  trying  to  shoot  some  wild  ducks,  and, 
in  order  to  approach  them  unperceived,  he  put  the 
corner  of  his  poncho  (which  is  a  sort  of  long  narrow 
blanket)  over  his  head,  and  crawling  along  the 
ground  upon  his  hand  and  knees,  the  poncho  not 
only  covered  his  body,  but  trailed  along  the  ground 


140,         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

behind  him.  As  he  was  thus  creeping  by  a  large 
bush  of  reedsj  he  heard  a  loud,  sudden  noise, 
between  a  bark  and  a  roar  ;  he  felt  something  heavy- 
strike  his  feet,  and,  mstantly  jumping  up,  he  saw  to 
his  astonishment,  a  large  puma  actually  standing 
on  his  poncho ;  and,  perhaps,  the  animal  was 
equally  astonished  to  find  himself  in  the  immediate 
presence  of  so  athletic  a  man.  The  man  told  me 
he  was  unwilling  to  fire,  as  his  gun  was  loaded 
with  very  small  shot;  and  he  therefore  remained 
motionless,  the  puma  standing  on  his  poncho  for 
many  seconds  ;  at  last  the  creature  turned  liis  head, 
and  v\'alking  very  slowly  away  about  ten  yards, 
stopped,  and  turned  again :  the  man  still  maintained 
his  ground,  upon  which  the  puma  tacitly  acknow- 
ledged his  supremacy,  and  walked  off." 

'•  I  dare  say  the  man  was  very  glad  to  be  so 
easily  quit  of  such  a  formidable  visitor,  Uncle 
Thomas." 

"  No  doubt  of  it,  Frank.  I  have  one 
other   story  to    tell    you    about    the    puma,  which 


THE   MAN  AND  THE   PUMA.     Tatre  140. 


THE    PUMAS    GRATITUDE.  141 

fortunately    exhibits     it    in    a     more     favourable 
light  than  some  of  those  which  I  have  told  you.- 

'•'  During  the  government  of  Don  Diego  cle- 
Mendoza,  in  Paraguay,  a  dreadful  famine  raged  at 
Buenos  Ayres :  yet  Diego,  afraid  to  give  the  Indians 
a  habit  of  spilling  Spanish  blood,  forbade  the  in- 
habitants, on  pain  of  death,  to  go  into  the  fields,  in 
search  of  relief,  placing  soldiers  at  all  the  outlets  to 
the  country,  with  orders  to  fire  upon  those  who 
should  attempt  to  transgress  his  orders.  A  woman, 
however,  called  Maldonata,  was  artful  enough  to 
elude  the  vigilance  of  the  guards,  and  to  effect  her 
escape.  After  wandering  about  the  countr}-  for  a 
long  time,  she  sought  shelter  in  a  cavern  ;  but  she 
had  scarcely  entered  it,  when  she  became  dreadfully 
alarmed,  on  obsei-ving  a  puma  occupying  the  same 
den.  She  was,  however,  soon  quieted  by  the  animal 
approaching  and  caressing  lier.  The  poor  brute 
was  very  ill,  and  scarcely  able  to  crawl  towards  her. 
Maldonata  soon  discovered  what  was  the  cause  of 
the  animal's  illness,  and  kindly  ministered  to  it.     It 


142         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

soon  recovered,  and  was  all  gratitude  and  attention 
to  its  kind  benefactress,  never  returuing  from  search- 
ing after  its  daily  subsistence  without  laying  a 
portion  of  it  at  the  feet  of  Maldonata. 

"  Some  time  after,  Maldonata  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  Spaniards  ;  and,  being  brought  back  to  Buenos 
Ayres,  was  conducted  before  Don  Francis  Ruez  de 
Galen,  who  then  commanded  there.  She  was 
charged  with  having  left  the  city  contrary  to  orders. 
Galen  was  a  man  of  a  cruel  and  tyrannical  disposi- 
tion, and  condemned  the  unfortunate  woman  to  a 
death  which  none  but  the  most  cruel  tyrant  could 
have  devised.  He  ordered  some  soldiers  to  take  her 
into  the  country,  and  leave  her  tied  to  a  tree,  either 
to  perish  with  hunger,  or  to  be  torn  to  pieces  by  wild 
beasts.  Two  days  after,  he  sent  the  same  soldiers 
to  see  what  had  been  her  fate,  when,  to  their  great 
surprise,  they  found  her  alive  and  unhurt,  though 
surrounded  by  pumas  and  jaguars,  while  a  female 
puma  at  her  feet  kept  them  at  bay.  As  soon  as  the 
puma  saw  the  soldiers,  she  retired  to  some  distance 


143 

and  they  unbound  Maldonata,  who  related  to  them 
the  history  of  this  puma,  whom  she  knew  to  be  the 
same  she  had  formerly  relieved  in  the  cavern.  On 
the  soldiers  taking  Maldonata  away,  the  animal 
approached,  and  fawned  upon  her,  as  if  unwilling  to 
part.  The  soldiers  reported  what  they  had  seen  to 
their  commander,  who  could  not  but  pardon  a 
woman  who  had  been  so  singularly  protected,  with- 
out the  danger  of  appearing  more  inhuman  than 
pumas  themselves. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

Uncle  Thomas  tells  about  the  Migrating  Instinct  of  Animals. — 
Of  the  House  Swallow  of  England  ;  and  the  Esculent 
Swallow,  whose  Nest  is  eaten  by  the  Chinese. — He  tells  also 
about  the  Passenger  Pigeon  of  America ;  of  the  Myriads 
which  are  found  in  various  parts  of  the  United  States ;  of  the 
Land-Crab  and  its  Migrations,  and  of  those  of  the  Salmon 
and  the  Common  Herring. 

"  Uncle  Thomas,  I  heard  to-day  of  a  swallow 
which  for  many  years  returned  to  the  same  window, 
and  built  its  nest  in  the  same  corner.  Now  as  I 
believe  swallows  are  birds  of  passage,  and  leave  this 
country  to  spend  the  winter  in  warmer  climates,  I 
wish  you  to  explain  to  me  how  it  is  that  they  can 
return  irom  such  distances  to  the  same  spot." 

"  That  is  a  question,  Frank,  which  I  cannot  very 
well  answer,  but  so  many  instances  of  the  kind  have 
been  observed  as  to  leave  no  doubt  as  to  the  fact. 
It  has  sometimes  been  known  even  to  penetrate  into 


THE    SAV ALLOW.  145 

the  house,  and  attach  its  nest  to  articles  of  furni- 
ture. 

"  At  Camerton  Hall,  near  Bath,  a  pair  of  swallows 
built  their  nest  on  the  upper  part  of  the  frame  of  an 
old  picture  over  the  chimney  ;  and,  coming-  into  the 
room  through  a  broken  pane  in  one  of  the  windows, 
they  continued  to  use  the  same  place  tor  their  nest 
for  three  successive  years,  and  would  probably  have 
continued  to  do  so,  but  the  room  having  been  put 
into  repair,  they  could  no  longer  obtain  access 
to  it." 

"  Is  it  want  of  food  which  makes  birds  migrate, 
Uncle  Thomas?" 

'•  Principally,  I  should  say  that  it  is  so,  Frank, 
but  in  shifting  from  one  place  to  another  they  only 
fulfil  an  instinct  impressed  on  them  by  their  Creator 
for  the  preservation  of  their  species.  Thus,  for 
mstance,  an  old  swallow  might  know  by  experience, 
that  when  its  food  fails  here,  it  begins  to  become 
plentiful  elsewhere,  but  the  young  bird  which  had 
never  been  more  than  a  few  miles  from  the  place 
10 


J  46         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

where  it  was  hatched,  can  have  no  such  experi- 
mental knowledge  ;  yet,  when  the  season  arrives, 
we  find  the  whole  flock  ready  to  set  out.  I  dare 
say  you  have  all  seen  them,  Boys,  gathering  in 
flocks  and  resting  on  the  house  tops,  as  if  taking 
breath  before  setting  out  on  their  long  journey." 

"  Oh,  yes.  Uncle  Thomas,  I  have  often  seen  them 
doing  so,  but  I  have  heard  that  they  dive  to  the 
bottom  of  lakes  and  ponds,  and  remain  there  till 
winter  is  over." 

•'  Many  foolish  stories  are  told  of  swallows  being 
found  in  such  situations,  Harry,  but  they  are  now 
well  known  to  be  fables.  There  is  no  doubt  that 
they  migrate  in  the  same  way  as  many  other  birds. 
Last  autumn  I  watched  with  great  pleasure  the 
movements  of  a  flock,  which  was  evidently  pre- 
paring for  their  arduous  flight. 

"  For  several  evenings  they  assembled  in  large 
numbers  on  a  tree  at  a  short  distance  from  my 
house,  and,  after  remaining  seated  for  some  time, 
one  of  them,  who  appeared   to  be  commander-in- 


MIGRATIOX    OF    THE    SWALLOW.  147 

chief,  kept  fl3dng  about  in  all  directions,  and  at 
length,  with  a  sharp  and  loudly  repeated  call,  he 
darted  up  into  the  air.  In  an  instant  the  whole 
congregation  were  on  the  wing,  following  their 
leader  in  a  sort  of  spiral  track.  In  a  little  time  they 
had  risen  so  high  that  I  lost  sight  of  them,  but 
after  a  short  absence  they  again  returned  and  took 
up  their  position  on  the  tree  which  they  had  just 
left. 

^'  This  manoBUvre  they  continued  for  some  time, 
till  one  day  they  set  off  in  reality,  and  I  saw  no 
more  of  them  for  the  winter." 

''  I  read,  somewhere,  Uncle  Thomas,  that  the 
Chinese  eat  swallows'  nests.  I  cannot  understand 
this,  Sir  ;  surely  the  mud  and  clay,  of  which  swal- 
lows' nests  are  composed,  would  make  but  an  in- 
different repast." 

"I  dare  say  they  would,  Frank,  if  they  were 
made  of  clay  and  mud,  as  the  nests  of  our  swallows 
are  ;  but  such  is  not  the  case.  Various  opinions 
are  entertained  as  to  the  substance  of  which  the 


148         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

nest  of  the  esculent  swallow  is  made.  Sir  George 
Staunton,  who  accompanied  Lord  Macartney  in  his 
embassy  to  China,  gives  a  very  interesting  account 
both  of  the  swallow  and  of  its  nest. 

"  In  the  Cass,"  says  Sir  George,  "  a  small  island 
near  Sumatra,  we  found  two  caverns  ranning  hori- 
zontally into  the  side  of  the  rock,  and  in  these  were 
a  number  of  those  birds'  nests  so  much  prized  by 
the  Chinese  epicures.  They  seemed  to  be  com- 
posed of  fine  filaments,  cemented  together  by  a 
transparent  viscous  matter,  not  unlike  what  is  left 
by  the  foam  of  the  sea  upon  stones  alternately 
covered  by  the  tide,  or  those  gelatinous  animal 
substances  found  floating  on  every  coast.  The 
nests  adhere  to  each  other  and  to  the  sides  of  the 
cavern,  mostly  in  horizontal  rows,  without  any 
break  or  interruption,  and  at  different  depths  from 
fifty  to  five  hundred  feet.  The  birds  that  build 
these  nests  are  small  grey  swallows,  with  bellies  of 
a  dirty  white.  They  were  flying  about  in  con- 
siderable   numbers,  but  were  so  small,  and   their 


THE    ESCULENT    SWALLOW.  149 

fliorht  was  so  quick,  that  they  escaped  the  shot  fired 
at  them.  The  same  sort  of  nests  are  said  to  be  also 
found  in  deep  caverns  at  the  foot  of  the  highest 
mountains  in  the  middle  of  Java,  at  a  distance  from 
the  sea ;  from  which  source  it  is  thought  that  the 
birds  derive  no  materials,  either  for  their  food,  or 
the  construction  of  their  nests,  as  it  does  not  appear 
probable  they  should  fly  in  search  of  either  over  the 
intermediate  mountains,  which  are  very  high,  or 
against  the  boisterous  winds  prevailing  thereabouts. 
They  feed  on  insects,  which  they  find  hovering 
over  stagnated  pools  between  the  mountains,  and 
for  the  catching  of  which  their  wide  opening  beaks 
are  particularly  adapted.  They  prepare  their  nests 
from  the  best  remnants  of  their  food.  Their  great- 
est enemy  is  the  kite,  who  often  intercepts  them  in 
their  passage  to  and  from  the  caverns,  which  are 
generally  surrounded  with 'rocks  of  grey  limestone 
or  white  marble.  The  colour  and  value  of  the 
nests  depend  on  the  quantity  and  quality  of  the 
insects  caught,  and  perhaps  also  on  the  situation 


150         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

where  they  are  built.  Their  value  is  chiefly  as- 
certained by  the  uniform  fineness  and  delicacy  of 
their  texture  )  those  that  are  white  and  transparent 
being  most  esteemed,  and  fetching  often  in  China 
their  weight  in  silver. 

'•  These  nests  are  a  considerable  object  of  traffic 
among  the  Javanese,  many  of  whom  are  employed 
in  it  from  their  infancy.  The  birds,  after  having 
spent  nearly  two  months  in  preparing  their  nests, 
lay  each  two  eggs,  which  are  hatched  in  about 
fifteen  days.  AYlien  the  young  birds  become  fledged, 
it  is  thought  the  proper  time  to  seize  upon  their 
nests,  vv^hich  is  done  regularly  three  times  a  year, 
and  is  eflccted  by  means  of  ladders  of  bamboo  and 
reeds,  by  which  the  people  descend  into  the 
caverns  ;  but  when  these  are  very  deep,  rope-ladders 
are  preferred.  This  operation  is  attended  with 
much  danger,  and  several  perisli  in  the  attempt. 
The  inhabitants  of  the  mountains  generally  em- 
ployed in  this  business  begin  always  by  sacrificing 
a  bufflilo,  which  custom  is  observed  by  the  Javanese 


THE    BSCULEXT    SWALLOW.  151 

on  the  eve  of  eveiy  extraordinary  enterprise.  They 
also  pronounce  sonie  prayers,  anoint  themselves 
with  sweet-scented  oil,  and  smoke  the  entrance  of 
the  cavern  with  giimbenjamim  Near  some  of  the 
caverns  a  tutelar  goddess  is  woi'shipped.  whose 
priest  burns  incense,  and  lays  his  projecting-  hands 
on  every  person  preparing  to  descend.  A  flambeau 
is  carefully  prepared  at  the  same  time,  with  a  gum 
which  exudes  from  a  tree  growing  in  the  vicinity, 
and  which  is  not  easily  extinguished  by  fixed  air  or 
subterraneous  vapours." 

^'  But  how  are  the  nests  eaten.  Uncle  Thomas  ? 
Are  they  prepared  in  any  way,  or  are  tliey  fit  for 
use  as  they  are  taken  down  ?" 

^'  They  are  always  prepared  before  they  are  eaten. 
The  finest  sort,  which  are  of  a  clear  colour,  and  not 
inilike  isinglass,  are  dissolved  in  broth,  to  vvdiich 
they  are  said  to  give  an  exquisite  flavour.  After 
being  soaked,  they  are  sometimes  introduced  into 
the  body  of  a  fowl  and  stewed :  but  I  am^  not  quite 
versed  in  all  the  mysteries  of  a  Chinese  kitchen,  so 


152         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

you  must  be  satisfied  with  these  two  modes  of  pre- 
paratioD." 

"  Thank  you.  Uncle  Thomas." 

"  I  have  only  one  more  story  to  tell  you  about 
the  swallow,  Boys,  and  then  I  must  turn  to  two  or 
three  other  animals,  whose  peregrinations  exliibit  as 
strong  instances  of  instinct  as  it  does." 

"  A  swallow's  nest,  built  in  the  west  corner  of  a 
window  facing  the  north,  was  so  much  softened  by 
the  rain  beating  against  it,  that  it  was  rendered  unfit 
to  support  the  superincumbent  load  of  five  pretty 
full  grown  swallows.  During  a  storm  the  nest  fell 
into  the  lower  corner  of  the  window,  leaving  the 
young  brood  exposed  to  all  the  fury  of  the  blast. 
To  save  the  little  creatures  from  an  untimely  death, 
the  owner  of  the  house  benevolently  caused  a  cover  • 
ing  to  be  thrown  over  them,  till  the  severity  of  the 
storm  was  past.  No  sooner  had  it  subsided,  than 
the  sages  of  the  colony  assembled,  fluttering  round 
the  window,  and  hovering  over  the  temporary 
covering  of  the  fallen  nest.     As  soon  as  this  careful 


THE    BROOD    IN    DANGER.  153 

anxiety  was  observed,  the  covering  was  removed, 
and  the  utmost  joy  evinced  by  the  group,  on  finding 
the  yonng  ones  alive  and  unhurt.  After  feeding 
them,  the  members  of  this  assembled  community 
arranged  themselves  into  working  order.  Each 
division  taking  its  appropriate  station,  commenced 
instantly  to  work,  and  before  night-fall  they  had 
jointly  completed  an  arched  canopy  over  the  young 
brood  in  the  corner  where  they  lay,  and  securely 
covered  them  asfainst  a  succeedino;  blast.  Calcula- 
ting  the  time  occupied  by  them  in  performing  this 
piece  of  architecture,  it  appeared  evident  that  the 
young  must  have  perished  from  cold  and  hunger, 
before  aii^r  single  pair  could  have  executed  half  the 
job.'' 

'•  How  very  kind,  Uncle  Thomas !  Had  they 
been  reasoning  creatures,  they  could  not  have 
behaved  more  properly." 

^'  I  dare  say  not,  Frank.  Such  traits  overstep  the 
limits  of  instinct^  and  almost  trespass  0.1  that  of 


154         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

'•'  You  f^kedj  Frank,  if  it  was  want  of  food  which 
prompted  the  flight  of  migratory  animals  from  one 
place  to  another.  In  some  cases  it  is  so,  un- 
doubtedly :  as  for  instance,  in  that  which  I  am  now 
going  to  tell  you  about,  the  American  prtssenger 
pigeon  ;  it  is  from  the  work  of  the  great  naturalist, 
AVilson. 

••'  The  migrations  of  these  pigeons  appear  to  be 
undertaken  rather  in  quest  of  food  than  merely  to 
avoid  the  cold  of  the  climate  :  since  we  find  them 
lino-erinQf  in  the  northern  recrions  around  Hudson's 
Bay  so  late  as  December,  and  since  their  appearance 
is  so  casual  and  irregular,  sometimes  not  visiting 
certain  districts  for  several  years  in  any  considerable 
numbers,  while  at  other  times  they  are  innume- 
rable. I  have  often  witnessed  these  migrations  in 
the  Genesee  country,  often  in  Pennsylvania,  and 
also  in  various  parts  of  Virginia,  with  amazement ; 
but  all  that  I  have  seen  of  them  are  mere  strao-aling 
partifs,  when  compared  with  the  congregated  mil- 
lions which  I  have    since  beheld   in  the  western 


THE    PASSEXGER    PIGEOX.  155 

forests  in  the  states  of  Ohio,  Kentucky,  and  the 
Indiana  territory.  These  fertile  and  extensive 
regions  abound  with  the  nutritious  beech  nut, 
which  constitutes  the  chief  food  of  the  wild  pigeon. 
In  seasons  when  these  nuts  are  abundant,  corres- 
pondiug  multitudes  of  pigeons  may  be  confidently 
expected.  It  sometimes  happens,  that  having  con- 
sumed the  whole  produce  of  the  beech  trees  in  an 
extensive  district,  they  discover  another  at  the 
distance  of  perhaps  sixty  or  eighty  miles,  to  which 
they  regularly  repair  ever^^  mornino^,  and  return  as 
regularly  m  the  course  of  the  day,  or  in  the  evening, 
to  their  place  of  general  rendezvous,  or,  as  it  is 
generally  called,  the  roosting  place.  These  roost- 
ing places  are  always  in  the  wood,  and  sometimes 
occupy  a  large  extent  of  forest.  TMien  they  have 
frecpiented  one  of  these  places  for  some  time,  the 
appearance  it  exhibits  is  surprising.  The  ground 
is  covered  to  the  depth  of  several  inches  with  their 
droppings  ;  all  the  tender  grass  and  underwood  de- 
stroyed ;  the  surface  strewed  with  large  limbs  of 


156         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

trees,  broken  down  by  the  weight  of  the  birds  clus- 
tering one  above  another,  and  the  trees  themselves, 
for  thousand  of  acres,  killed  as  completely  as  if 
girdled  with  an  axe.  The  marks  of  this  desolation 
remain  for  many  years  on  the  spot,  and  numerous 
places  could  be  pointed  out,  where  for  several 
years  after  scarcely  a  single  vegetable  made  its 
appearance. 

'•  When  these  roosts  are  first  discovered,  the 
inhabitants  from  considerable  distances  visit  them 
in  the  night  with  guns,  clubs,  long  poles,  pots  of 
sulphur,  and  various  other  engines  of  destruction. 
In  a  few  hours  they  fill  many  sacks,  and  load  their 
horses  with  them.  By  the  Indians,  a  pigeon  roost 
or  breeding  place  is  considered  an  important  source 
of  national  profit  and  dependence  for  the  season, 
and  all  their  active  ingenuity  is  exercised  on  the 
occasion.  The  breeding  place  differs  from  the 
former  in  its  greater  extent.  In  the  western  coun- 
tries before  mentioned,  these  are  generally  in  beech 
woods,  and  often  extend  in  nearly  a  straight  line 


THE    PASSENGER    PIGEOX.  157 

across  the  coiintiy  for  a  great  way.  Not  far  from 
Shelbyville,  in  the  state  of  Kentucky,  about  five 
years  ago,  there  was  one  of  these  breeding  places, 
\vhich  stretched  through  the  woods  in  nearly  a 
north  and  south  direction,  which  was  several  miles 
in  breadth,  and  was  said  to  be  upwards  of  forty 
miles  in  extent.  In  this  tract  almost  every  tree  was 
furnished  with  nests  wherever  the  branches  could 
accommodate  them.  The  pigeons  made  their  first 
appearance  there  about  the  10th  of  April,  and  left  it 
altogether  with  their  young  before  the  25th  of 
May. 

"  As  soon  as  the  young  were  fully  grown,  and 
before  they  left  the  nests,  numerous  parties  of  the 
inhabitants,  from  all  parts  of  the  adjacent  country, 
came  with  waggons,  axes,  beds,  cooking  utensils, 
many  of  them  accompanied  by  the  greater  part  of 
their  families,  and  encamped  for  several  days  in  this 
immense  nursery.  Several  of  them  informed  me 
that  the  noise  in  the  Vv'oods  was  so  great  as  to  terrify 
their  horses,  and  that  it  was  difficult  for  one  person 


158         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

to  hear  another  speak  without  bawling  in  his  ear. 
The  ground  was  strewed  wnth  broken  limbs  of 
trees,  eggs,  and  young  squab  pigeons  which  had 
been  precipitated  from  above,  and  on  which  herds 
of  hogs  were  fattening  ;  hawks,  buzzards,  and  eagles 
were  sailing  about  in  great  numbers,  and  seizing 
the  squabs  from  their  nests  at  pleasure  ;  while  from 
twenty  feet  upwards  to  the  tops  of  the  trees,  the 
view  through  the  woods  presented  a  perpetual 
tumult  of  crowding  and  fluttering  multitudes  of 
pigeons,  their  wings  roaring  like  thuuder,  mingled 
with  the  fi'equent  crash  of  falling  timber :  for  now 
the  axemen  were  at  work,  cutting  down  those  trees 
which  seemed  to  be  most  crowded  with  nests,  and 
contrived  to  fell  them  in  such  a  manner,  that  in 
their  descent  they  might  bring  down  several  others, 
by  which  means  the  falling  of  one  large  tree  some- 
times produced  two  hundred  squabs,  little  inferioi 
in  size  to  the  old  pigeons,  and  almost  one  mass  of 
fat.  On  some  single  trees,  upwards  of  one  hundred 
nests  were  found,  each  containing  one  young  only, 


THE    PASSEXGER    PIGEON.  159 

a  circumstance  in  the  history  of  this  bird  not  gene- 
rally knouni  to  naturalists.  It  was  dangerous  to 
"walk  under  these  fluttering  and  flying  millions, 
from  the  frequent  fall  of  large  branches,  broken 
down  by  the  weight  of  the  multitudes  above,  and 
which  in  their  descent  often  destroyed  numbers  of 
the  birds  themselves. 

'•  I  had  left  the  public  road  to  visit  the  remains 
of  the  breeding  place  near  Shelbyville,  and  was 
traversing  the  woods  with  my  gun  on  my  way  to 
Frankfort,  when  about  one  o'clock,  the  pigeons 
which  I  had  observed  flying  the  greater  part  of  the 
morninof  northerly,  began  to  return  in  such  immense 
numbers  as  I  never  before  had  witnessed  ;  coi  ling 
to  an  opening  by  the  side  of  a  creek  called  the 
Benson,  where  I  had  a  more  uninterrupted  view,  I 
was  astonished  at  their  appearance.  They  were 
flying  with  great  steadiness  and  rapidity,  at  a  height 
beyond  gun-shot,  and  several  strata  deep,  and  so 
close  together,  that  could  shot  have  reached  them, 
one  discharge  could    not  have  failed    in  bringinsr 


160         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

down  several  individuals.  From  right  to  left  as 
far  as-  the  eye  could  reach,  the  breadth  of  this  vast 
procession  extended,  seeming  every  where  equally 
crowded.  Curious  to  determine  how  long  this 
appearance  would  continue,  I  took  out  my  watch  to 
note  time,  and  sat  down  to  observe  them.  It  was 
then  half-past  one  ;  I  sat  for  more  than  an  hour, 
but  instead  of  a  diminution  of  this  prodigious  pro- 
cession, it  seemed  rather  to  increase  both  in  numbers 
and  rapidity,  and  anxious  to  reach  Frankfort  before 
nis^ht,  I  arose  and  went  on.  About  four  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon,  I  crossed  the  Kentucky  river  at  the 
town  of  Frankfort,  at  which  time  the  living  torrent 
above  my  head  seemed  as  numerous  and  as  exten- 
sivre  as  ever;  and  long  after  this,  I  observed  them 
in  large  bodies  that  continued  to  pass  for  six  or  eight 
minutes,  and  these  again  were  followed  by  other 
detached  bodies,  all  moving  in  the  same  south-east 
direction,  till  after  six  in  the  evening.  The  great 
breadth  of  front  which  this  mighty  multitude  pre- 
served  would    seem  to    intimate    a  corresponding 


THE    PASSENGER    PIGEON.  161 

breadth  of  their  breeding  place,  which,  by  several 
gentlemen  who  had  lately  passed  through  part  of  it, 
was  stated  to  me  at  several  miles.  It  was  said  to 
be  in  Green  County,  and  that  the  youn^  began  to 
fly  about  the  middle  of  March.  On  the  17th  of 
April,  forty-nine  miles  beyond  Danville,  and  not  far 
from  Green  River,  I  crossed  this  same  breeding 
place,  where  the  nests  for  more  than  three  miles 
spotted  every  tree  ;  the  leaves  not  being  yet  out,  I 
had  a  fair  prospect  of  them,  and  was  really  aston- 
ished at  their  numbers.  A  few  bodies  of  pio-eons 
lingered  yet  in  diiferent  parts  of  the  woods,  the 
roaring  of  whose  wings  was  heard  in  various  quar- 
ters around  me. 

'•  The  vast  quantity  of  food  which  these  multi- 
tudes consume  is  a  serious  loss  to  the  other  animals, 
such  as  bears,  pigs,  squirrels,  which  are  dependent 
on  the  fruits  of  the  forest.  I  have  taken  from  the 
crop  of  a  single  wild  pigeon  a  good  handful  of  the 
kernels  of  beech  nuts  intermixed  with  acorns  and 
chesnuts.  To  form  a  rough  estimate  of  the  daily 
11 


162         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

consumption  of  one  of  these  immense  flocks,  let  us 
first  attempt  to  calculate  the  numbers  above  men- 
tionedj  as  seen  in  passing  between  Frankfort  and 
the  Indian  Territory.  If  we  suppose  this  column 
to  have  been  one  mile  in  breadth  (and  I  believe  it 
to  have  been  much  more),  and  that  it  moved  at  the 
rate  of  one  mile  in  a  minute,  four  hours,  the  time 
it  continued  passing,  would  make  its  whole  length 
two  hundred  and  forty  miles.  Again,  supposing 
that  each  square  yard  of  this  moving  body  compre- 
hended three  pigeons,  the  square  yards  in  the  whole 
space,  multiplied  by  three,  would  give  two  thousand 
two  hundred  and  thirty  millions  two  hundred  and 
seventy-two  thousand  pigeons  ! — an  almost  incredi- 
ble multitude,  and  yet  far  below  the  actual  amount. 
Computing  each  of  these  to  consume  half  a  pint  of 
mast  (nuts,  and  other  seeds  of  trees)  daily,  the  whole 
quantity,  at  this  rate,  would  equal  seventeen  mil- 
lions four  hundred  and  twenty-four  thousand 
bushels  per  day  !  Heaven  has  wisely  and  graciously 
given  to  these  birds  rapidity  of  flight,  and  a  disposi- 


THE    PASSENGER    PIGEON.  163 

tioii  to  range  over  vast  uncaltivated  tracts  of  the 
earth ;  otherwise  they  must  have  perished  in  the 
districts  where  they  resided,  or  devoured  the  whole 
productions  of  agricuUure,  as  well  as  those  of  the 
forests. 

"  The  appearance  of  large  detached  flocks  of 
these  birds  in  the  air,  and  the  various  evolutions 
they  display,  are  strikingly  picturesque  and  interest- 
ing. In  descending  the  Ohio  by  myself,  I  often 
rested  on  my  oars  to  contemplate  their  aerial 
manoeuvres.  A  column  of  eight  or  ten  miles  in 
length  would  appear  from  Kentucky  high  in  air, 
steering  across  to  Indiana.  The  leaders  of  this 
great  body  would  sometimes  gradually  vary  their 
course,  till  it  formed  a  large  bend  of  more  than  a 
mile  in  diameter,  those  behind  tracing  the  exact 
route  of  their  predecessors.  This  would  continue 
sometimes  long  after  both  extremities  were  beyond 
the  reach  of  sight ;  so  that  the  whole  with  its  glit- 
tering undulations  marked  a  space  on  the  face  of 
the    heavens  resembling    the   windings    of  a  vast 


164         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

majestic  river.  When  this  bend  became  very  great^ 
the  birds,  as  if  sensible  of  the  unnecessarily  circui- 
tous route  they  were  taking,  suddenly  changed 
their  direction,  so  that  what  was  in  column  before 
became  an  immense  front,  straightening  all  its 
indentures  until  it  swept  the  heavens  in  one  vast 
and  infinitely  extended  line.  Other  lesser  bodies 
also  united  with  each  other  as  they  happened  to 
approach,  and  with  such  ease  and  elegance  of  evo- 
lution, forming  new  figures  and  vaiying  these  as 
they  united  or  separated,  that  I  was  never  tired  of 
contemplating  them.  Sometimes  a  hawk  would 
sweep  on  a  particular  part  of  the  column  from  a 
great  height,  when  almost  as  quick  as  lightning  ttiat 
part  shot  downwards  out  of  the  common  track,  but 
soon  rising  again,  continued  advancing  at  the  same 
height  as  before.  This  inflection  was  continued  by 
those  behind,  who,  on  arriving  at  this  point,  dived 
'lown  almost  perpendicularly  to  a  great  depth,  and. 
rising,  roilowed  the  exact  path  of  those  that  went 
before. 


THE    PASSENGER    PlGEOX.  165 

''  Happening  to  go  ashore  one  charming  afternoon 
to  purchase  some  milk  at  a  house  that  stood  near 
the  river,  and  while  talking  with  the  people  within 
doors,  I  was  suddenly  struck  with  astonishment  at 
a  loud  rushing  roar,  succeeded  by  instant  darkness, 
which  for  the  first  moment  I  took  for  a  tornado 
about  to  overwhelm  the  house,  and  every  thing 
around,  in  destruction.  The  people  observing  my 
surprise,  coolly  said,  '  It  is  only  the  pigeons,'  and 
on  running  out,  I  beheld  a  flock  thirty  or  forty 
yards  in  width,  sweeping  along  very  low  between 
the  house  and  the  mountain  or  height  that  formed 
the  second  bank  of  the  river.  These  continued 
crossing  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  and  at 
length  varied  their  bearing,  so  as  to  pass  over  the 
mountain,  behind  which  they  disappeared  before 
the  rear  came  up." 

"  That  is  amazing,  Uncle  Thomas ;  two  thousand 
millions  of  live  bu'ds  !  I  can  scarcely  form  an  ade- 
quate idea  of  such  a  mass  of  living  creatures." 

"  There  is  something    almost  overwhelming   in 


166         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

the  idea,  Frank  ;  and  yet  in  some  parts  of  the  world 
are  to  be  found  flocks  of  animals  hardly  less  sur- 
prisingly numerous,  when  we  consider  how  much 
less  they  are  fitted  for  moving  about,  travelling  at 
stated  intervals  from  t?ie  mountains  to  the  sea  coast, 
and  returning  again  to  their  old  habitations,  after 
having  fulfilled  the  purposes  for  which  this  in- 
stinctive feeling  was  implanted  in  them." 

"  Which  animals  do  you  mean,  Uncle  Thomas  ?" 
'•  I  allude  to  the  land-crab,  which  is  a  native  of 
the  Bahamas,  and  also  of  most  of  the  other  islands 
between  the  tropics.  They  live  in  clefts  of  the 
rocks,  or  holes  which  they  dig  for  themselves 
among  the  mountains,  and  subsist  on  vegetables. 
About  tlie  months  of  April  and  May,  they  descend 
to  the  sea  coast  in  a  body  of  millions  at  a  time,  for 
the  purpose  of  depositing  their  spawn.  They  march 
in  a  direct  line  towards  their  destination,  and  seldom 
turn  out  of  their  way,  even  should  they  encounter 
a  wall  or  a  house,  but  boldly  attempt  to  scale  it. 
If.   however,   they  arrive    at    a    river,    they  wind 


THE    LAND-CRAB.  167 

along  the  course  of  the  stream,  and  thus  reach  the 
sea. 

"  In  their  procession  they  are  as  regular  as  an 
army  under  the  command  of  an  experienced  gene- 
ral, and  are  usually  divided  into  three  battalions. 
The  first  body  consists  of  the  strongest  males.  Vvhicli 
march  forward  to  clear  the  route  and  face  the 
greatest  dangers.  The  main  body  is  composed  of 
females,  which  are  formed  into  columns,  sometimes 
extending  fifty  or  sixty  yards  in  breadth  and  three 
miles  in  depth.  Three  or  four  days  after  these 
follows  the  third  division  or  rear  guard,  a  straggling 
undisciplined  tribe,  consisting  both  of  males  and 
females,  but  neither  so  robust  nor  so  vigorous  as 
the  former. 

"  Though  easily  drowned,  a  certain  proportion  of 
moisture  seems  necessary  to  the  existence  of  these 
animals,  and  the  advanced  guard  is  often  obliged  to 
halt  from  the  want  of  rain.  The  females,  indeed, 
never  leave  the  mountains  till  the  rainy  season  has 
fairly  set  in.     They  march  chiefly  during  the  night. 


168         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

but  if  it  happens  to  rain  during  the  day,  they 
always  profit  by  it.  When  the  sun  is  hot  they  halt 
till  evening.  They  march  very  slowly,  and  are 
sometimes  three  months  in  gaining  the  shore. 
When  alarmed  they  run  in  a  confused  and  dis- 
orderly manner,  holding  up  and  clattering  their 
nippers  with  a  threatening  attitude,  and  if  suffered 
to  take  hold  of  the  hand  they  bite  severely.  If  in 
their  journey  any  of  them  should  be  so  maimed  as 
to  be  unable  to  proceed,  the  others  fall  upon  it  and 
devour  it. 

"  Arrived  at  the  coast,  they  prepare  to  cast  their 
spawn.  They  go  to  the  edge  of  the  water,  and 
suffer  the  waves  to  wash  twice  or  thrice  over  their 
bodies,  and  then  withdraw  to  .seek. a  lodging  upon 
the  land.  After  a  short  time  the  spawn  becomes 
ready  for  being  deposited,  when  they  again  seek  the 
sea-side,  and  leave  the  spawn  to  be  brought  to  ma- 
turity by  the  heat  of  the  sun.  ^Much  of  the  spawn, 
which  exactly  resembles  the  roe  of  a  herring,  is 
devoured  by  the  fishes ;  that  which  escapes  soon 


THE    LAND-CRAB.  169 

arrives  at  maturity,  and  millions  of  little  crabs  are 
then  to  be  seen  slowly  travelling  towards  the  moun- 
tains. 

"  The  old  ones  in  the  mean  time  seek  to  return 
to  their  old  haunts,  but  so  feeble  are  they  tliat  they 
seem  scarcely  able  to  crawl  along.  Some  of  them, 
indeed,  are  obliged  to  remain  ia  the  level  parts  of 
the  country  till  they  recover,  making  holes  in  the 
earth,  which  they  block  up  with  leaves  and  dirt. 
In  these  they  cast  their  old  shells,  after  which  they 
soon  recover,  and  become  so  fat  as  to  be  delicious 
food. 

"  At  the  season  of  their  descent  from  the  moun- 
tains, the  natives  of  the  islands  which  they  inhabit, 
eagerly  wait  for  them  and  destroy  them  in  thou- 
sands. On  their  descent  they  are  only  taken  for  the 
roe  or  spawn,  the  flesh  being  then  poor  and  lean  : 
on  their  return  from  the  sea-side  they  are  in  greatest 
repute,  being  then  fat  and  high  flavoured. 

"  The  crab-catchers  adopt  various  modes  of 
securing    them,  but   they  are  obliged    to  be  very 


170         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

cautious,  for  when  the  animals  perceive  themselves 
attacked,  they  throw  themselves  on  their  back,  and 
snap  their  claAvs  about,  pinching  whatever  they 
lay  hold  of  very  severely.  The  crab-catchers, 
however,  soon  learn  to  seize  them  by  the  hind  legs, 
in  such  a  manner  as  that  the  nippers  cannot  reach 
them." 

"  You  said.  Uncle  Tliomas,  that  the  fishes  ^yatched 
the  descent  of  the  crabs,  that  they  might  feed  on  the 
spawn.  Do  you  think  that  they  are  endowed  \vith 
reasoning  powers,  as  well  as  the  higher  classes  of 
animals.  Uncle  Thomas  7" 

"  No  doubt  of  it,  Frank.  Old  Isaac  Walton,  the 
most  amusing  author  on  angling  who  ever  wrote, 
tells  many  curious  stories  about  fishes,  of  their 
coming  to  be  fed  at  the  sound  of  a  bell,  and  so 
forth. 

"  Many  fishes  exhibit  the  migratory  instinct  quite 
as  distinctly  as  those  animals  which  I  have  just 
told  you  about.  The  salmon  leaves  the  sea.  and 
seeks  its  way  un  the  rivers,  stemming  their  most 


THE    SALMON.  171 

rapid  currents,  and  scaling  highest  waterfalls  with 
a  pertinacity  which  can  only  be  the  result  of  an 
instinct  implanted  in  them  by  their  Creator."' 

"  And  the  herring,  Uncle  Thomas  ;  does  not  it 
come  every  year  from  the  Polar  seas  to  spawn  on 
our  shores  ?  I  read  a  very  interesting  account  of 
their  progress  southwards  somewhere  lately." 

'•  I  can  tell  you  where,  Frank ;  I  will  show  it 
you,  and  when  3'ou  have  read  it  aloud,  I  will  point 
out  one  or  two  mistakes,  which  it  is  as  well  to  clear 
your  mind  of  It  is  in  old  Pennant's  work  ;  here  it 
is ;  will  you  read  it  to  us,  John  ?"' 

"  With  pleasure,  Uncle  Thomas. 

*•'  This  mighty  army  begins  to  put  itself  in  motion 
in  the  spring.  They  begin  to  appear  off  the  Shet- 
land Islands  in  April  and  May.  This  is  the  first 
check  this  army  meets  in  its  march  southward. 
There  it  is  divided  into  two  parts ;  one  wing  of 
those  destined  to  visit  the  Scottish  coast  takes  to 
the  east,  the  other  to  the  western  shores  of  Great 
Britain,   and   fill   every  bay  and   creek  with  their 


172         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

numbers  ;  others  proceed  towards  Yarmouth,  the 
great  and  aucient  mart  of  herrings  ;  they  then  pass 
throuo-h  the  British  channel,  and  after  that  in  a 
manner  disappear.  Those  which  take  to  the  west, 
after  offering  themselves  to  the  Hebrides,  where  the 
great  stationary  fishery  is,  proceed  towards  the  north 
of  Ireland,  where  they  meet  with  a  second  interrup- 
tion and  are  obliged  to  make  a  second  division  ;  the 
one  takes  to  the  western  side  and  is  scarcely  per- 
ceived, being  soon  lost  in  the  immensity  of  the  At- 
lantic, but  the  other,  which  passes  into  the  Irish 
sea,  rejoins,  and  feeds  the  inhabitants  of  most  of  the 
coasts  that  border  on  it.  The  brigades,  as  we  call 
them,  which  are  separated  from  the  greater  columns, 
are  often  capricious  in  their  motions,  and  do  not 
show  an  invariable  attachment  to  their  haunts." 

"  Thank  you,  John.  Now  all  this  sounds  very 
fine,  and  seems  very  systematic.  It  has  but  one 
objection — it  is  quite  untrue.  It  is  in  the  first 
place  more  than  doubtful  if  the  herring  frequents 
the  Polar  seas  at  all ;  and  in  the  second  place,  the 


THE    HERRING.  173 

most  distinguished  naturalists  are  of  opinion  that  it 
never  leaves  the  neighbourhood  of  our  own  shores, 
but  merely  retires  to  the  deep  water  after  it  lias 
spawned,  and  there  remains  till  the  return  of  another 
season  calls  it  ao^ain  to  the  shores  to  undero^o  a 
similar  operation.  So  you  see,  Frank,  it  does  not 
follow  that  an  interesting  account  of  an  animaPs 
habits  is  necessarily  a  true  one." 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

Uncle  Thomas  tells  about  the  Baboons,  and  their  Plundering 
Excursions  to  the  Gardens  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  also 
about  Le  Vaillant's  Baboon,  Kecs,  and  his  Peculiarities  ;  the 
American  Monkeys  ;  and  relates  an  amusing  Story  about  a 
young  Monkey  deprived  of  its  Mother,  putting  itself  under  the 
Fostering  Care  of  a  Wig-Block. 

'•  Oh.  Uncle  Thomas,  I  saw  such  a  strange  look- 
ing creature  to-day.  It  was  so  ugly.  It  seemed 
to  be  a  very  large  monkey,  it  was  as  big  as  a 
boy." 

"  I  heard  of  it,  Boys,  though  I  did  not  see  it. 
It  was  a  baboon,  and  one  of  the  larofest  of  the 
species. — It  was  what  is  called  the  dog-faced 
baboon." 

"  Where  do  such  animals  come  from.  Uncle 
Thomas." 

"  From  Africa,  John,  and  I  believe  they  are  not 
to  be  found  elsewhere.     They  are  very  fierce  and 


THE    BABOON.  1/5 

mischievous  creatures,  and  are  said  sometimes  even 
to  attack  man,  but  this  I  beUeve  to  be  an  exao-o-era- 
tion.  Immense  troops  of  them  inhabit  the  moun- 
tains in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  whence  they  descend  in  bands  to  plunder  the 
gardens  and  orchards.  In  these  excursions  they 
move  on  a  concerted  plan,  placing  sentinels  on 
commanding  spots  to  give  notice  of  the  approach  of 
an  enemy.  On  the  appearance  of  danger,  the  senti- 
nel utters  a  loud  yell,  upon  which  the  whole  troop 
retreats  with  the  utmost  precipitation." 

''  Do  they  carr)^  the  spoil  with  them  when  they 
are  thus  disturbed.  Uncle  Thomas  ?" 

'•  AM^ien  disturbed  they  are  said  to  break  in  pieces 
the  fruit  which  they  have  gathered,  and  cram  it 
into  their  cheek  pouches — receptacles  with  which 
nature  has  furnished  them  for  keeping  articles  of 
food  till  they  are  wanted. 

"Le  Yaillant,  a  traveller  in  Africa,  had  a  dog- 
faced  baboon  which  accompanied  him  on  his  jour- 
ney, and  he  found  its  instinct  of  great  service  to 


176         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

him  in  various  ways.  As  a  sentinel  he  was  bettei 
than  any  of  the  dogs.  So  quick  was  his  sense  of 
danger,  that  he  often  gave  notice  of  the  approach  of 
beasts  of  prey,  when  every  thing  else  seemed  sunk 
in  security.  He  was  also  very  useful  in  guarding 
the  people  of  the  expedition  from  danger,  from  using 
unwholesome  or  poisonous  fruits.  The  animal's 
name  was  Kees.  Here  is  the  very  interesting 
account  which  his  master  gives  of  him. 

"  Whenever  we  found  fruits  or  roots,  with  which 
my  Hottentots  were  unacquainted,  we  did  not  touch 
them  till  Kees  had  tasted  them.  If  he  threw  them 
away,  we  concluded  that  they  were  either  of  a 
disagreeable  flavour,  or  of  a  pernicious  quality,  and 
left  them  untasted.  The  ape  possesses  a  peculiar 
property,  wherein  he  differs  greatly  from  otlier 
animals,  and  resembles  man, — namely,  that  he  is  by 
nature  equally  gluttonous  and  inquisitive.  Witliout 
necessity,  and  without  appetite,  he  tastes  every  thing 
that  falls  in  his  way,  or  that  is  2"iven  to  him.  But 
Kees  had  a  still  more  valuable  quality, — he  was  an 


THE    BABOON.  177 

excellent  sentinel ;  for,  whether  by  day  or  night,  ha 
immediately  sprang  up  on  the  slightest  appearance 
of  danger.  By  his  cry,  and  the  symptoms  of  fear 
which  he  exhibited,  we  w^ere  always  apprized  of  the 
approach  of  an  enemy,  even  though  the  dogs  per- 
ceived nothing  of  it.  The  latter  at  length  learned 
to  rely  upon  him  with  such  confidence,  that  they 
slept  on  in  perfect  tranquillity.  I  often  took  Kees 
with  me  when  I  went  a  hunting  :  and  when  he 
saw  me  preparing  for  sport,  he  exhibited  the  most 
lively  demonstrations  of  joy.  On  the  way  he  would 
climb  into  the  trees,  to  look  for  gum,  of  which  he 
was  very  fond.  Sometimes  he  discovered  to  me 
honey,  deposited  in  the  clefts  of  rocks,  or  hollow 
trees.  Bat  if  he  happened  to  have  met  with  neither 
honey  nor  gum,  and  his  appetite  had  become  sharp 
by  his  running  about,  I  always  witnessed  a  very 
ludicrous  scene.  In  those  cases,  he  looked  for 
roots,  which  he  ate  Avith  great  greediness,  especially 
a  particular  kind,  which,  to  his  cost,  I  also  found 
to  be  very  well  tasted  and  refreshing,  and  therefore 
12 


l78  stories  about  instinct. 

insisted  upon  sharing  with  him.  But  Kees  was  no 
fool.  As  soon  as  he  found  such  a  root,  and  I  was 
not  near  enough  to  seize  upon  my  share  of  it,  he 
devoured  it  in  the  greatest  haste,  keeping  liis  eyes 
all  the  while  riveted  on  me.  He  accurately 
measured  the  distance  I  had  to  pass  before  I  could 
get  to  him;  and  I  was  sure  of  coming  too  late. 
Sometimes,  however,  when  he  had  made  a  mistake 
in  his  calculation,  and  I  came  upon  him  sooner 
than  he  expected,  he  endeavoured  to  hide  the  root,  in 
which  case  I  compelled  him,  by  a  box  on  the  ear, 
to  give  me  up  my  share.  But  this  treatment  caused 
no  malice  between  us  ;  we  remained  as  good  friends 
as  ever.  In  order  to  draw  these  roots  out  of  the 
ground,  he  employed  a  very  ingenious  method, 
wliich  afforded  me  much  amusement.  He  laid  hold 
of  the  herbage  with  his  teeth,  stemmed  his  fore  feet 
against  the  ground,  and  drew  back  his  head,  which 
gradually  pulled  out  the  root.  But  if  this  expedient, 
for  which  he  employed  his  whole  strength,  did  not 
succefd,  he  laid  hold  of  the  leaves  as  before,  as  close 


THE    BABOON.  179 

to  the  ground  as  possible,  and  then  threw  himself 
heels  over  head,  which  gave  such  a  concussion  to 
the  root,  that  it  never  failed  to  come  out. 

'■'-  When  Kees  happened  to  tire  on  the  road,  he 
mounted  upon  the  back  of  one  of  my  dogs,  who  was 
so  obliging  as  to  carry  him  whole  hours.  One  of 
theni-  vs  hich  was  larg^er  and  strong-er  than  the  rest, 
hit  u{)on  a  very  ingenious  artifice,  to  avoid  being 
pressed  into  this  piece  of  service.  As  soon  as  Kees 
leaped  upon  his  back  he  stood  still,  and  let  the  train 
pass,  without  moving  from  the  spot.  Kees  still 
persisted  in  his  intention,  till  we  were  almost  out  of 
nis  sit>:hi,  when  he  found  himself  at  leno-th  com- 
oelled  to  dismount,  upon  which  both  the  baboon 
and  dog  exerted  all  their  speed  to  overtake  us. 
The  latter,  however,  gave  him  the  start,  and  kept  a 
good  look-out  after  him,  that  he  might  not  serve 
him  in  the  same  manner  again.  In  fact,  Kees 
enjoyed  a  certain  authority  with  all  my  dogs,  for 
which  he  perhaps  was  indebted  to  the  superiority 
of  his  instinct.     He  could  not  endure  a  competitor; 


ISO         STORIES  ABOUT  IXSTIXCT. 

if  any  of  the  dogs  came  too  near  him  when  he  was 
eating,  he  gave  them  a  box  on  the  ear,  which  com- 
pelled  him  immediately  to  retire  to  a  respectful 
distance. 

"  Serpents  excepted,  there  were  no  animals  of 
whom  Kees  stood  in  sach  great  dread  as  of  his  own 
species, — perhaps  owing  to  a  consciousness,  that  he 
had  lost  a  portion  of  his  natural  capacities.  Some- 
times he  heard  the  cry  of  the  other  apes  among  the 
mountains,  and,  terrified  as  he  was,  he  yet  answered 
them.  But  if  they  approached  nearer,  and  he  saw 
any  of  them,  he  fled,  with  a  hideous  cry,  crept 
between  our  legs,  and  trembled  over  his  whole 
body.  It  was  very  difficult  to  compose  him,  and  it 
required  some  time  before  he  recovered  from  his 
fright. 

"  Like  all  other  domestic  animals,  Kees  wos 
addicted  to  stealing.  He  understood  admirably 
well  how  to  loose  the  strings  of  a  basket,  in  order  to 
take  victuals  out  of  it,  especially  milk,  of  which  he 
was  very  fond.     My  people  chastised  him  for  these 


THE    BABOON.  181 

thefts ;  but  that  did  not  make  him  amend  his 
conduct.  I  myself  sometimes  whipped  him  :  but 
then  he  ran  away,  and  did  not  return  again  to  i\\fi 
tentj  until  it  grew  dark.  Once  as  I  was  about  to 
dine,  and  had  put  the  beans  which  I  had  boiled  for 
myself  upon  a  plate.  I  heard  the  voice  of  a  bird, 
with  which  I  was  not  acquainted.  I  left  my  dinner 
standing,  seized  my  gun,  and  run  out  of  my  tent. 
After  the  space  of  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  I 
returned,  with  the  bird  in  my  hand  ;  but  to  m/ 
astonishment,  found  not  a  single  bean  upon  the 
plate.  Kees  had  stolen  them  all,  and  taken  himself 
out  of  the  way.  When  he  had  committed  any 
trespass  of  this  kind,  he  used  always,  about  the  time 
when  I  drank  tea,  to  return  quietly,  and  seat  himself 
in  his  usual  place,  with  every  appearance  of  inno- 
cence, as  if  nothing  had  happened  ;  but  this  evening 
he  did  not  let  himself  be  seen  :  and  on  the  following 
day,  also,  he  was  not  seen  by  any  of  us  :  ar.d  in 
consequence,  I  began  to  grow  seriously  uneasy 
about  him,  and   apprehensive  that  he  might  Le  lost 


182         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

for  ever,  but  on  the  third  day,  one  of  my  people, 
who  had  been  to  fetch  water,  informed  me  that  he 
had  seen  Kees  in  the  neighbourhood  ;  but  that  as 
soon  as  the  animal  espied  him,  he  had  concealed 
himself  again.  I  immediately  went  out  and  beat 
the  whole  neiglibourhood  with  my  dogs.  All  at 
once.  I  heard  a  cry,  like  that  which  Kees  used  to 
make  wlien  I  returned  from  my  shooting,  and  had 
not  taken  him  with  me.  I  looked  about,  and  at 
length  espied  him,  endeavouring  to  hide  himself 
behind  the  large  branches  of  a  tree.  I  now  called 
to  him  in  a  friendly  tone  of  voice,  and  made  motions 
to  him  to  come  down  to  me.  But  he  would  not 
trust  me,  and  I  was  obliged  to  climb  up  the  tree  to 
fetch  him.  He  did  not  attempt  to  fly,  and  we 
returned  together  to  my  quarters  ;  here  he  expected 
to  receive  his  punishment ;  but  I  did  nothing,  as  it 
would  have  been  of  no  use. 

'•  When  exhausted  with  the  heat  of  the  sun,  and 
the  fatigues  of  the  day,  with  my  throat  and  mouth 
covered  with  dust  and  perspiration,  I  was  ready  to 


THE    BABOON.  IS3 

sink  gasping  to  the  ground,  in  tracts  dcstitme  of 
shade,  and  longed  even  for  the  dirtiest  ditch-water; 
but  after  seeking  long  in  vain,  lost  all  liopes  of 
finding  any  in  the  parched  soil.  In  sucli  distressing 
moments,  my  faithful  Kees  never  moved  from  njv 
side.  We  sometimes  got  out  of  oin-  carrinofe,  ar.d 
then  his  sure  instinct  led  him  to  a  plant.  Fre- 
quently the  stalk  was  fallen  off.  and  then  all  his 
endeavours  to  pull  it  out  were  in  vain.  In  such 
cases,  he  began  to  scratch  in  the  earth  witli  his 
paws ;  but  as  that  would  also  have  proved  inef- 
fectual. I  came  to  his  assistance  with  my  dao-crer.  cr 
my  knife,  and  we  honestly  divided  the  refreshing 
root  with  each  otiier. 

^'An  officer,  wishing  one  day  to  put  tlie  fidelity 
of  my  baboon,  Kees,  to  the  test,  pretended  to  strike 
me.  At  tliis  Kees  flew  in  a  violent  rage,  and,  from 
that  time,  ho  could  never  endure  the  sight  of  tlie 
officer.  If  he  only  saw  him  at  a  distance,  he  began 
to  cry  and  make  all  kinds  of  grimaces,  which  evi- 
dently showed  that  he  wished  to  revenge  the  insult 


134  SIORIES    ABOUT    INSTINCT. 

that  had  been  done  to  me ;  he  ground  his  teeth,  and 
endeavonred,  with  all  his  might,  to  fly  at  his  face, 
])nt  that  was  out  of  his  power,  as  he  was  chained 
down.  The  offender  several  times  endeavoured,  in 
vain,  to  conciliate  Iiim,  by  offering  him  dainties,  but 
he  remained  long  implacable. 

'•  When  any  eatables  had  been  pilfered  at  my 
quarters,  the  fault  was  always  laid  first  upon  Kees  ; 
and  rarely  was  the  accusation  unfounded.  For  a 
time  the  eggs  which  a  hen  laid  me  were  constantly 
stolen  away,  and  I  wished  to  ascertain  whether  1 
liad  to  attribute  this  loss  also  to  him.  For  this  pur- 
pose, I  went  one  morning  to  watch  him,  and  waited 
till  the  hen  announced  by  lier  cackling  that  she 
had  laid  an  egg;.  Kees  was  sitting  upon  my 
vehicle  ;  but  the  moment  he  heard  the  lien's  voice 
he  leapt  dov/n,  and  was  running  to  fetch  the  egg. 
When  he  saw  me  he  suddenly  stopped,  and  affected 
a  careless  posture,  swaying  himself  backwards  upon 
his  hind  legs,  and  assuming  a  very  innocent  look ; 
m  short,  he  employed  all  his  art  to  deceive  me  with 


.1     i      -^-       ^-v 


THE  DOG   A^D  BABOON.    Tagc  185. 


THE    BABOOX.  185 

respect  to  his  design.  His  hypocritical  manoeuvres 
only  confirmed  my  suspicions,  and.  in  order  in  my 
turn  to  deceive  him,  I  pretended  not  to  attend  to 
him,  and  turned  my  back  to  the  bush  where  the 
hen  was  cackling,  upon  which  he  immediately 
sprang  to  the  place.  I  ran  after  i-im,  and  came  up 
to  him  at  the  moment  when  he  liad  broken  the  egg, 
and  was  swallowino^  it.  Having-  cauo^ht  the  thief 
in  the  fact,  I  gave  him  a  good  beating  upon  tlie 
spot ;  but  tliis  severe  chastisement  did  not  prevent 
his  soon  stealing  fresh-laid  eggs  again.  As  I  was 
convinced  that  I  should  never  be  able  to  break 
Kees  of  his  natural  vices,  and  that,  unless  I  chained 
him  up  every  morning,  I  should  never  get  an  egg,  I 
endeavoured  to  accomplish  my  purpose  hi  another 
manner  :  I  trained  one  of  my  dogs,  as  soon  as  the 
hen  cackled,  to  run  to  the  nest,  and  bring  me  the 
egg  without  breaking  it.  In  a  few  days  the  dcg 
had  learned  his  lesson  ;  but  Kees,  as  soon  as  he 
heard  the  hen  cackle,  ran  with  him  to  the  nest.  A 
contest  now  took  place  between  them,  who  should 


1S6         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

have  the  egg  ;  often  the  dog  was  foiled,  although 
lie  was  the  stronger  of  the  two.  If  he  gamed  the 
victory,  he  ran  joyfully  to  me  v/ith  the  egg,  and  put 
it  into  my  hand.  Kees,  nevertheless,  followed  him, 
and  did  not  cease  to  grumble  and  make  threatening 
grimaces  at  him,  till  he  saw  me  take  the  egg. — as  if 
he  was  comforted  for  the  loss  of  his  booty  by  his 
adversaiy's  not  retaining  it  for  himself.  If  Kees 
had  2:ot  hold  of  the  egg,  he  endeavoured  to  run  with 
it  to  a  tree,  where,  having  devoured  it,  he  threw 
down  the  shells  upon  his  adversary,  as  if  to  make 
crame  of  him.  In  that  case,  the  doo^  returned,  look- 
ing  ashamed,  from  which  I  could  conjecture  the 
unlucky  adventure  he  had  met  with. 

"  Kees  was  always  the  first  awake  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  wlicn  it  v\^as  the  proper  time  he  awoke  the 
d)gs,  who  were  accustomed  to  his  voice,  and.  in 
general,  obe^^ed  without  hesitation  the  slightest 
motions  by  v/hich  he  communicated  his  orders  to 
them,  immediately  taking  their  posts  about  the  tent 
and  carriage,  as  he  directed  them.*' 


THE    BABOON.  187 

"  What  a  delightful  companion  Kees  must  have 
Deen,  Uncle  Thomas  !" 

"  He  must  at  least  have  been  an  amusinof  one, 
Frank,  and  not  an  unuseful  one  either.  There  are, 
however,  great  variations  in  this  respect  among  the 
monkeys  ;  some  of  them  are  most  lively  creatures, 
seldom  sitting  still  for  a  couple  of  minutes,  while 
others  are  retired  and  gloomy  in  their  dispositions, 
and  some  are  most  fickle  and  uncertain.  The  fair 
monke}?-,  though  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the 
tribe,  is  of  the  latter  description,  as  the  following 
story  will  testify  : — 

''  An  animal  of  this  class,  which  from  its  extreme 
beauty  and  gentleness  was  allowed  to  ramble  at 
liberty  about  a  ship,  soon  became  a  great  favourite 
among  the  crevv^,  and  in  order  to  make  him  perfectly 
happy,  as  they  imagined,  they  procured  him  a  wife. 
For  some  v/eeks  he  was  a  devoted  husband,  and 
showed  her  every  attention  and  respect.  He  then 
grevv'  cool,  and  became  jealous  of  any  kind  of 
civility  shown  her  by  the  master  of  the  vessel,  and 


188         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

began  to  use  her  witli  much  cruelty.  His  treat- 
ment made  her  wretched  and  dull  ;  and  she  bore 
the  spleen  of  her  husband  with  that  fortitude  which 
is  characteristic  of  the  female  sex  of  the  human 
species.  And  pug,  like  the  lords  of  the  creation, 
was  up  to  deceit,  and  practised  pretended  kindness 
to  his  spouse,  to  effect  a  diabolical  scheme,  which 
he  seemed  to  premeditate.  One  morning,  when  the 
sea  ran  very  high,  he  seduced  her  aloft,  and  drew 
her  attention  to  an  object  at  some  distance  from  the 
yard-arm;  her  attention  being  fixed,  he  all  of  a 
sudden  applied  his  paw  to  her  rear,  and  canted  her 
into  the  sea,  where  she  fell  a  victim  to  his  cruelty. 
This  seemed  to  afford  him  high  gratification,  for  he 
descended  in  great  spirits." 

'•  Oh,  Vv'hat  a  wretched  creature,  Uncle  Thomas. 
I  v.'onder  the  sailors  did  not  throw  liim  into  the  sea 
also." 

"  Stay,  Frank,  you  are  somewhat  too  hasty.  He 
deserved  certainly  to  be  punished ;  but  I  doubt 
whetliGui'  it  would  have  been  proper  to  have  put  him 


THE    MONKEY.  189 

to  death  for  his  misdeed.  All  monkeys  are  not^ 
however,  equally  cruel ;  some  of  them,  indeed,  arc 
remarkable  for  the  instinctive  kindness  which  lliey 
evince  towards  their  young.  ^\lien  threatened  by 
danger,  they  mount  them  on  their  back,  or  clasp 
tliem  firmly  to  their  breast,  to  which  the  young 
creatures  secure  themselves,  by  means  of  their  long 
and  powerful  arms,  so  as  to  permit  of  their  parent 
moving  about,  and  springing  from  branch  to  branch, 
with  nearly  as  much  facility  as  if  she  were  perfectly 
free  from  all  incumbrance." 

'•  Oh,  I  can  readily  believe  that,  Uncle  Thomas. 
One  day  lately,  at  the  Zoological  Gardens,  I  saw 
two  monkeys  clasping  a  young  one  between  them, 
to  keep  it  warm.     They  seemed  so  fond  of  it." 

^'  Yes,  Frank,  I  have  also  seen  them  occupied  in 
the  same  way.  I  was  quite  delighted  at  such  an 
unexpected  exhibition  of  tenderness. 

'•  Some  of  the!  monkeys  which  are  natives  of  the 
American  continent  have  the  singular  characteristic 
of  prehensile  tales ;  that  is,  of  tails  which  they  can 


190         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

more  about,  and  lay  hold  of  branches  of  trees  with 
nearly  as  much  ease  as  they  can  with  their  hands. 
The  facilities  which  this  affords  them  for  moving 
about  with  celerity  among  the  branches  of  trees  is 
astonishing.  The  firmness  of  the  grasp  which  it 
takes  of  the  tree  is  no  less  surprising,  for  if  it  makes 
a  single  coil  round  a  branch,  it  is  quite  sufficient, 
not  only  to  support  the  weight  of  the  animal,  but  to 
enable  it  to  swing  in  such  a  manner  as  to  gain  a 
fresh  hold  whh  its  feetj' 

"  That  is  very  curious,  Uncle  Thomas.  Is  there 
any  other  animal  which  has  this  power  in  the  tail." 

"  Oh,  yes,  Frank,  several  of  the  lizards  have  the 
power,  as  well  as  some  other  animals  ;  the  little 
harvest  mouse,  for  instance  ;  but  none  of  them  are 
possessed  of  it  in  so  high  a  degree  as  the  American 
monkeys. 

"  I  have  now  pretty  well  exhausted  my  stories 
about  the  monkey  tribe,  I  recollect  only  one  more 
at  present,  and  it  occurred  to  the  same  traveller  to 
whom  Kees  belonged. 


THE    MONKEY.  191 

'•  In  one  of  his  excursions  he  happened  to  kill  a 
female  monkey,  which  carried  a  young  one  on  her 
back.  The  little  creature,  as  if  insensible  of  its 
mother's  death,  continued  to  cling  to  the  dead  body 
till  they  reached  their  evening  quarters  ;  and  even 
then  it  required  considerable  force  to  disengage  it. 
No  sooner,  however,  did  the  little  creature  feel  itself 
alone,  than  it  darted  towards  a  wooden  block,  on 
which  was  placed  the  wig  of  Le  Yaillant's  father, 
mistalving  it  for  its  dead  mother.  To  this  it  clung 
most  pertinaciously  by  its  fore  paws  ;  and  such  was 
the  force  of  this  deceptive  instinct,  that  it  remained 
in  the  same  position  for  about  three  weeks,  all  this 
time  evidently  mistaking  the  wig  for  its  mother.  It 
was  fed,  from  time  to  time,  with  goat's  milk  ;  and, 
at  length,  emancipated  itself  voluntarily,  by  quitting 
the  fostering  care  of  the  peruke.  The  confidence 
which  it  ere  long  assumed,  and  the  amusing 
familiarity  of  its  manners,  soon  rendered  it  a  favour- 
ite. The  unsuspecting  naturalist  had,  however, 
introduced  a  wolf  in  shc-.j!;  s  clothing  into  his  dwel- 


192         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

/ing :  for.  one  morning,  on  entering  his  chamber 
the  door  of  which  had  been  imprudently  left  open, 
he  beheld  his  young  favourite  making  a  hearty 
breakfast  on  a  very  noble  collection  of  insects.  In 
the  first  transports  of  his  anger,  he  resolved  to 
strangle  the  monkey  in  his  arms :  but  his  rage 
immediately  gave  way  to  pity,  when  he  perceived 
that  the  crime  of  its  voracity  had  carried  the  punish- 
ment along  with  it.  In  eating  the  beetles,  it  had 
swallowed  several  of  the  pins  on  which  they  were 
transfixed.  Its  agony,  consequently,  became  great ; 
and  all  his  efforts  were  unable  to  preserve  its  life." 

"  Poor  creature  !  How  unfortunate,  Uncle  Tho- 
mas. It  must,  however,  have  been  a  very  stupid 
animal  to  mistake  a  wig  for  its  mother." 


CHAPTER   IX. 

Uncle  Thomas  concludes  Stories  about  Instinct  with  several 
Interesting  Illustrations  of  the  Affections  of  Animals,  par- 
ticularly of  the  Instinct  of  Maternal  Affection,  in  the  course 
of  which  he  narrates  the  Story  of  the  Cat  and  the  Black-Bird : 
the  Squirrel's  Nest ;  the  Equestrian  Friends  ;  and  points  out 
the  Beneficent  Care  of  Providence  in  implanting  m  the 
Breasts  of  each  of  his  Creatures  the  Instinct  which  is 
necessary  for  its  Security  and  Protection. 

"  Good  evening,  Uncle  Thomas  ?  We  were  so 
delighted  with  the  adventures  of  Kees,  that  we  wish 
to  know  if  you  have  any  more  such  amusing  stories 
to  tell  us." 

"  Oh  yes,  Boys,  plenty  such,  but  it  is  now  time  to 
bring  these  Stories  about  Instinct  to  a  close. 
I  am  therefore  going  to  conclude  by  narrating  one 
or  two  stories  about  the  affections  of  animals.  1 
wish  to  impress  your  minds  with  feelings  of  kind- 
ness towards  them,  and  I  think  that  the  best  way  to 
13 


194         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

do  so  is  to  exhibit  them  to  you  in  their  gentleness 
and  love  ;  to  show  you  that  they  too  partake  of  the 
kindlier  emotions  by  which  the  heart  of  man  is 
movedj  and  that  the  feelings  of  maternal  affection, 
and  of  friendship,  and  of  fidelity,  are  as  much  the 
prerogatives  of  the  lower  animals  as  they  are  of 
man  himself.  Perhaps  one  of  the  most  amiable 
liMits  in  which  the  affections  of  animals  are  ex- 
hibited  is  their  love  and  attachment  to  their  off- 
spring. You  have  all  seen  how  regardless  of 
danger  a  domestic  hen,  one  of  the  most  timid  and 
defenceless  of  animals,  becomes  when  she  has 
charge  of  a  brood  of  chickens.  At  other  times  she 
is  alarmed  by  the  slightest  noise — the  sudden  rustle 
of  a  leaf  makes  her  shrink  with  fear  and  appre- 
hension. Yet,  no  sooner  do  her  little  helpless 
offspring  escape  from  the  shell,  than  she  becomes 
armed  with  a  determination  of  which  even  birds  of 
prey  stand  in  awe.-' 

"  Oh  yes.  Uncle  Thomas,  I  have  often  seen  a  hen  at- 
tack a  large  dog  and  drive  it  away  from  her  chickens.' 


MATERNAL    INSTINCT.  195 

*^It  iiKirks  Uie  wisdom  of  the  omnipotent  and  all- 
wise  Creator,  Boys,  that  he  has  implanted  in  the 
hearts  of  each  of  his  creatures  the  particahir 
instincts  wliich  were  necessary  for  their  safety  and 
protection.  Tlius,  in  the  case  1  have  just  spoken 
of,  the  instinctive  courage  with  which  tlie  mother 
is  endowed,  you  will  fmd  to  be  the  best  security 
which  could  have  been  devised.  In  some  other 
biixls  tliis  mstinct  exhibits  itself  in  a  different  way. 
If  you  happen  to  approach  the  nest  of  the  lapwing, 
for  instance,  the  old  birds  try  every  means  to  attract 
your  attention,  and  lure  you  away  from  the  sacred 
spot.  They  v/ill  fly  close  by  you,  and  in  an  irregu- 
lar manner,  as  if  wounded  ;  but  no  sooner  do  they 
find  that  their  stratagem  has  been  successful,  and 
that  you  have  passed  the  nest  unobserved,  than 
they  at  once  take  a  longer  flight,  and  soon  leave 
you  behind." 

'•  How  very  singular.  Uncle  Thomas  '  Does  tlie 
lapwing  defend  its  young  with  as  much  courage  as 
the  hen  ?" 


19G         STORIES  ABOUT  IXSTIXCT. 

"  I  am  not  aware  that  it  does,  Frank,  tlioiigh  J 
tliink  it  is  not  at  all  unlikely.  As  its  instinct 
teaches  it  to  finesse  in  tlie  way  which  I  have  told 
yoUj  however,  I  should  not  expect  to  find  that  it 
does  so  with  equal  spirit.  Even  the  pigeon,  the 
very  emblem  of  gentleness  and  love,  boldly  pecks 
at  the  rude  hand  which  is  extended  towards  its 
young,  during  the  earlier  stages  of  their  existence. 
If  you  come  by  chance  on  the  brood  of  a  partridge, 
the  mother  flutters  along,  as  if  she  were  so  much 
wounded  that  it  was  impossible  to  escape,  and  the 
young  ones  squat  themselves  close  by  the  earth. 
When  by  her  cunning  wiles  she  has  led  you  to  a 
little  distance,  and  you  discover  that  her  illness  was 
feigned,  you  return  to  the  spot  to  seek  for  the 
yoimg,  and  you  find  that  they  too  are  gone  :  no 
sooner  is  your  back  turned  than  they  run  and 
hide  themselves  in  some  more  secret  place,  where 
they  remain  till  the  well-known  call  of  the  mother 
again  collects  them  under  her  wing. 

"  I  lately  heard  a  most  interesting  story  of  the 


THE    CAT    AXU    THE    BLACKBIRD.  197 

boldness  of  a  pair  of  blackbirds  in  defence  of  theij 
young.  A  cat  was  one  day  observed  mounted  on 
the  top  of  a  railing,  endeavouring  to  get  at  a  nest 
which  vras  near  it.  containino-  a  brood  of  voun^f 
birds.  Oil  tlie  cat's  approach  the  motbicr  left  tlie 
nest,  and  fiev^^  to  meet  it  in  a  state  of  great  alarm, 
placing  Iierself  almost  within  its  niach,  and  uttering 
the  most  piteous  screams  of  vrildness  and  despair. 
Alarmed  !;v  his  partner's  screams,  the  male  bird 
soon  discovered  the  cause  of  her  distress,  and  in  a 
state  of  erpaal  trepidation  flew  to  the  place,  uttering 
loud  screams  and  outcries,  sometimes  settling  on 
the  fence  just  before  the  cat,  wliich  was  unal;le  to 
make  a  spring  in  consequence  of  the  narrowness  of 
its  footins;.  After  a  httle  time,  seeing  that  tlieir 
distress  made  no  impression  oji  their  assailant,  the 
male  bird  flew  at  the  cat,  settled  on  its  baclc,  and 
pecked  at  its  head  with  so  much  violence  t'lat  it  fell 
to  the  2;round,  lollowed  by  Uw.  blackbird,  whicli  at 
length  succeeded  in  driving  it  away.  Foiled  in  this 
attempt,  the  cat  a  short  time  after  again  returned  to 


108         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

the  charge,  and  was  a  second  time  vanquished, 
wliich  so  intimidated  her  that  she  relinquished  all 
attempts  to  get  at  tlie  young  birds.  For  several 
days,  v\dienever  slie  made  her  appearance  in  the 
garden,  she  was  set  upon  by  tlie  blackbirds,  and  al 
lenofth  became  so  much  afraid  of  them,  that  she 
scampered  to  a  place  of  security  whenever  she  saw 
them  approach." 

'•  That  was  very  bold  indeed.  Uncle  Thomas. 
Birds  seem  to  be  all  very  much  attached  to  their 
young." 

"  Very  much  so,  Harry  ;  but  perhaps  not  more  so 
than  many  quadrupeds.  Here  is  a  story  of  the 
squirrel's  affection,  which,  though  it  does  not  exhibit 
an  instance  of  active  defence  against  its  enemies, 
affords  one  of  endurance  equally  admirable. 

'•  In  cutting  down  some  trees  on  the  estate 
recently  purchased  by  the  crown  at  Petersham,  for 
the  purpose  of  being  annexed  to  Richmond  park, 
the  axe  was  applied  to  the  root  of  a  tall  tree,  on  the 
lop  of  which  was  a  squirrel's  nest.     A  rope  was 


THE    SCIUIRRELS    NEST.  199 

fustencd  to  the  tree  for  the  purpose  of  pullino-  it 
down  more  expeditiously  ;  the  workiiieii  cut  at  the 
roots  ;  the  rope  was  pulled  ;  the  tree  swayed  back- 
wards and  forwards,  and  at  length  fell.  During  all 
these  operations  a  female  squirrel  never  attempted 
to  desert  her  new-born  young,  but  remained  with 
tliem  in  the  nest.  When  the  tree  fell  down,  she 
was  thrown  out  and  secured  unhurt,  and  was  put 
into  a  cage  with  her  young  ones.  She  suckled 
them  for  a  short  time,  but  refused  to  eat.  Her 
maternal  affection,  however,  remained  till  the  last 
moment  of  her  life,  and  she  died  in  the  act  of  afford- 
ins:  all  the  nourishment  in  her  power  to  her  off- 
spring. 

"  We  are  too  apt.  Boys,  to  overlook  the  admirable 
lessons  which  such  stories  as  these  inculcate. 
They  should  teach  us  kindness  to  each  other — ■ 
kindness,  indeed,  not  only  to  those  of  our  own 
species,  but  kindness  to  all  created  creatures.  If 
the  lower  animals  love  each  other  so  warmly  and 
affectionately,  how  much  more  ought  man,  to  whom 


200         STORIES  ABOUT  INSTINCT. 

the  Creator  has  been  so  beneficent,  to  love  his  fellow 
creatures.  But  though  the  attachment  of  animals 
to  their  offspring  is  an  admirable  mode  of  its  devel- 
opementj  it  is  far  from  being  the  only  one.  After 
all  the  Stories  about  Dogs — their  love  of  their 
master — their  fidelity — their  sagacity — which  I  will 
relate  to  you  at  a  future  time,  it  is  hardly  necessary 
for  me  to  bring  forward  evidence  in  favour  of  this 
position.  Here  is  an  instance  of  friendship,  as  it 
is  called,  between  horses,  which  was  so  strong  as  to 
terminate  fatally. 

"  During  the  Peninsular  war,  two  horses,  which 
had  lonof  been  associated  tosfether,  assistinof  to  draoj 
the  same  piece  of  artillery,  and  standing  together 
the  shock  of  many  battles,  became  so  much  attached 
to  each  other  as  to  be  inseparable  companions.  At 
length  one  of  them  was  killed.  After  the  battle  in 
which  this  took  place,  the  other  was  picquetted  as 
usual,  and  his  food  brought  to  him.  He  refused, 
however,  to  eat,  and  was  constantly  turning  round 
his   head   to  look   for    his    companion,  sometimes 


CONCLUSION.  201 

neighing  as  if  to  call  her.  All  the  attention  winch 
was  bestowed  upon  him  was  of  no  avail  ;  tlioiii^rli 
surrounded  by  horses  he  took  no  notice  of  iliein, 
but  incessantly  bewailed  his  absent  friend.  Ho 
died  shortly  after,  having  refused  to  taste  food  from 
the  time  his  former  companion  was  killed  ! 

"  Such  is  but  one  solitary  instance.  Bnt  there 
are  many  such  scattered  up  and  down  in  the  ample 
records  of  nature,  bearing  silent  but  emphatic  testi- 
mony to  the  kindness  and  beneficence  of  the 
Creator.  Let  them  but  be  searched  for  in  a  proper 
and  gentle  spirit,  and  they  are  sure  to  be  found. 

"  Not  a  tree, 
A  plant,  a  leaf,  a  blossom,  but  contains 
A  folio  volume  :   wc  may  read,  and  read, 
And  read  again,  but  still  find  something  new — 
Something  to  please,  and  something  to  instruct. 
E'en  in  the  noisome  weed." 


THE    END. 


ijC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARr  FAClLlTr 

B     000  007  839     4 


